AHDB to save £500,000 per year in move to new headquarters

The Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) is to save around £500,000 from its annual budget when it moves from its current headquarters at Stoneleigh to a new location near Coventry.

The move to the new premises (currently named International House), on the Middlemarch Business Park near Coventry Airport just six miles from the organisation's current base, will take place by the end of April 2023.

Meanwhile a new tenant, an international technology company, has taken over the existing lease and is now in the process of setting up its new base at Stoneleigh Park.

AHDB's new headquarters will be more than 50% smaller in size at 16,000 sq ft, compared to the current premises, which is 33,000 sq ft.

CEO Tim Rycroft said: "This move to a new, fit-for-purpose headquarters demonstrates our commitment to reducing central costs and building a leaner AHDB.

"The money we have saved will be reinvested in our core activities, directly benefiting levy payers.

"International House will provide a home that fits the requirements of our current sector teams and central support staff, as well as offering better value for money to levy payers in serving their needs.

"It gives us a suitable venue for hosting levy payer meetings, as well as other stakeholder and industry events and we are also pleased to have found a location that is close to our current base."

Staff will begin moving to the new premises in early April with AHDB's departure from its current base at Stoneleigh Park completed by the end of that month.