25-year lease. A maturity loan over 40 years from the Public Works Loan Board with a predicted interest rate of less than 4.5% will be taken out by the council. The council expect to make money from leasing the building, in excess of the amount that they paid for it. One floor of the building was sub-let back to the council by Eaga (as of 2013 the council has been removed from the building signage). However, in May 2009, the plans of the Liberal Democrat Council to buy the Tower were thrown into doubt. This was due to Northern Rock deciding to defer their decision to sell the building, as well as opposition from the local Labour Party. On 12 May The Journal newspaper reported that the Northern Rock board had approved the deal, that the Labour opposition had been quelled. This was after a report refuting Labour's claims was put before two scrutiny panels, and that a motion to send the decision back for further discussions was defeated by seven votes to six, at the Civic Centre. In October 2009 the council completed their purchase of the Tower, and renamed it as Partnership House. As of January 2010 there was around a thousand workers in the offices at Partnership House for the "Real Partnership" - a partnership between the City Council and Eaga. It was officially opened by Peter Mandelson. Eaga was bought by Carillion in April 2011. The multinational Carillion later found themselves in financial difficulty and Partnership House began to be let to a number of different companies from different industry segments. In January 2013 Astrium Services moved into level 9. In March 2013 Wood Group moved into levels 6 and 7, relocating staff from nearby Northumbria House. In 2013 the NHS logo was added to the building signage. Games studio Ubisoft Reflections has taken 30,000 sq ft over two floors. In May 2016 Cundall moved from the nearby Horsley House into the level 4 of Partnership House. Interior dimensions The building has the following approximate net lettable floor areas: Image gallery References External links Carillion Energy Newcastle City Council Wood Group Astrium Services Northern Rock and Regent Centre Regent Centre Northern Rock and NRAM Photograph of Northern Rock Building, 1969 at Newcastle libraries service Buildings and structures in Newcastle upon Tyne Office buildings completed in 2008 Northern Rock