VIDEO: County Times’ new home officially opened

JPCT 270613 Official opening of th West Sussex County Times new offices. Chairman of Horsham District Council Philip Circus cuts the ribbon accompanied by Editor in Chief Gary Shipton left and Chairman Elect Christian Mitchell. Photo by Derek Martin

Horsham District Council chairman Philip Circus and vice-chairman Christian Mitchell joined local businesses and well-wishers for the occasion. They also took the chance to have a look around the brand new office at Springfield House in Springfield Road, Horsham.

Inside, editor in chief Gary Shipton spoke about the significance of the paper’s new home.

“The County Times has moved to modern offices at the heart of Horsham,” he said. “One of the oldest businesses in town, it has always been a great pioneer.

“Its new home at Springfield House will perfectly position it to continue to grow and evolve, reaching new audiences across the region.

“The County Times newspaper is one of the oldest and most respected brands in the district. But today we have a rapidly growing digital and mobile audience too.

“Increasingly we are illustrating our exclusive news coverage with video.

“These are exciting times.

“Our new offices in the heart of the area we serve will keep us in the forefront of the communications revolution.”

Philip Circus spoke about the importance of the media in a free society. Any attempt at statutory control of the press, or imposition of a Royal Charter, would be ‘a mistake’, he said. “Who worse to put in charge, on any question of regulating the press than politicians, who very often have a vested interest in preventing the press from reporting?” he asked.

Afterwards, a ribbon cutting ceremony was held at the front of the building.

The County Times was established in 1869 and moved into the distinctive Market Square office in the 1890s.

The historic building contained a sprawling network of rooms, which provided a quirky but impractical work space for one of the town’s biggest employers.

With staff from several titles working on site and the County Times developing both its print products and round-the-clock digital services, a larger and more modern newsroom became more and more of a priority.

The new state of the art offices are in the heart of Horsham, at the junction of Albion Way with Springfield Road, adjacent to the town centre and the Swan Walk Shopping Centre.

The central location will enable the County Times and its sister titles, to remain at the forefront of local news, information, and advertising, in a fast-changing technological age.