THE firm behind a credit card that shoppers use all over the globe is coming to Knutsford.

Mastercard has taken a 10-year lease of a 6,000sq ft office at Booths Park.

This latest letting brings the total number of companies at Booths Park to 65, employing more than 1,200 people across eight buildings.

Agent Richard Wharton, working on behalf of Mastercard, said the location complete with fishing lake, cricket club, cycle and running routes and even a farm were instrumental in the business’s choice.

He said: “From our initial discussions with Mastercard it was clear that providing employees with pleasant surroundings and encouraging a healthy work-life balance was important to the company and a central part of the brief.”

The Mastercard deal is the first of three set to sign over the coming weeks and takes Booths Park’s occupancy to 84 per cent.

Clr Michael Jones, leader of Cheshire East Council, added: “It is incredibly satisfying to see the remarkable transformation of Booths Park over recent years and we welcome the investment that Bruntwood has made in this part of Cheshire.

“The tranquillity of the development belies the fact that there are more than 1,200 people working here, bringing a welcome boost to the economy of the area.”