Around 700 staff at Provident Financial Group are preparing to move into the firm’s new head office on Thornton Road, Bradford, this autumn.

Finishing touches are being put to the premises, which are part of the £50m Southgate development, which includes the newly opened Jurys Inn hotel.

Staff will transfer from Provident’s 1960s base in Sunbridge Road in a phased move which will be completed quickly. The firm has operated in Bradford since 1880.

The doorstep lender and specialist credit card operator has reported slightly higher interim pre-tax profits and a modest growth in customer numbers.

But chief executive Peter Crook warned that if the Government’s austerity programme pushes up unemployment, then its trade could suffer.

In March the firm axed 180 jobs after abandoning plans for a separate direct repayment loans business and to cut head office costs.

Provident has announced profits for the half-year to June 30 of £54m, 1.7 per cent higher than the 2009 interim figure of £53.1m.

This was after absorbing £7m of extra costs due to extending its bank facilities and raising new debt funding.

Customer numbers in the home credit business grew by 5.4 per cent from 2.1m to 2.3m as consumers took a cautious approach to borrowing, partly due to fears about job prospects.

Household incomes for customers had remained under pressure throughout the first half of 2010, mainly due to restrictions on working hours and wage rates.

This had made customers cautious and dampened demand for credit from some existing customers.

The Vanquis Bank credit card operation boosted pre-tax profits by 82 per cent to £9.1m from £5m after absorbing £1.6m of higher funding costs. It received ore than 600,000 applications during the first half of 2010 and increased customer numbers by 16.1 per cent.

Mr Crook said: “Whilst home credit customers remain cautious, I am encouraged by the growth in customer numbers of over five per cent which will underpin the medium-term growth of the business when market conditions improve.

“In addition, the early action taken to manage margins and costs is paying off and will provide ongoing benefit through the second half of the year.

“Vanquis Bank is making excellent progress whilst maintaining a cautious approach to granting new credit.

“It is expected to achieve the target set three years ago of a post-tax return on equity run rate of 30 per cent by the end of 2010.

“The group’s balance sheet and liquidity are strong and our plans to deliver good quality growth in 2010 remain on track.”

An interim dividend of 25.4p a share has been proposed.