Work has begun on a £27 million new headquarters for global communications firm Metaswitch in Enfield Town.

The five-storey office block will provide space for up to 500 employees, allowing the company – which was founded in Enfield in 1981 – to expand its operations.

As well as office space, the 66,000 sq ft building will feature a café, a “state-of-the-art” data centre, a rooftop conference centre and a basement car park.

The office block is being built on the Genotin Road car park in the centre of Enfield Town.

Councillors approved the plans in November after Metaswitch agreed to allow the public to use the company’s car park on weekends and weekday evenings.

Enfield Council wants to ensure the borough – which has the lowest median gross weekly pay level for full-time workers in London – retains and creates high-skilled jobs.

Metaswitch will sign a 15-year lease once the building is complete, raising more than £5.7 million for the local authority.

Chief executive Martin Lund said: “Metaswitch is delighted to be working with Stoford and McLaren Construction to create a stand-out working environment for our employees and visitors.

“This will give us a stunning building which will help us attract and retain the best talent to maintain our position as one of the world’s best in our field.

“It is a very exciting project for us, and we are very grateful to Enfield Council for its assistance in making it possible.”