OREANDA-NEWS. August 28, 2015. SSE has entered into an agreement with M&G Real Estate to lease a newly-constructed flagship building at Number 1 Forbury Place, Reading.   

The grade A office space extends to 186,000 square feet across eight floors, with capacity to provide a high quality working environment for over 1,900 employees from the end of 2016.  It is believed to be the largest office letting in the Thames Valley for over a decade.

The new building is close to the M3/M4 corridor, and is three minutes’ walk from the recently extended Reading Railway Station, which has a fast link to London.  It provides SSE with the opportunity to rationalise its existing office facilities and create a central hub for its operations and activities in the south-east of England.  Amongst other things, this will include all staff currently based at Vastern Road, Reading, and some office based staff from Thatcham. All the staff from Winchester Road, Basingstoke will move out of the office with the majority moving to the new premises in Reading.

SSE will take possession of the building in January 2016 in order to complete a full internal fit out to support a flexible, engaging and efficient working environment for its employees from the end of 2016.

Alistair Phillips-Davies, Chief Executive of SSE, said:

“We have looked extensively for the right building in the right location to provide a high quality environment from which to support efficient operations for customers and provide the right base for our extensive activities across the south-east of England; and we have found it in Number 1 Forbury Place.

“The new building gives us the space to bring together over 1,900 SSE employees in one place and provide a modern, flexible working environment.  SSE is a major service provider in the south-east of England and this is an excellent opportunity for us to bring together our staff from across the company in a new central hub from which to build further our business in this economically vital part of the UK.”