THE SITE of a building which was demolished to make way for brand new offices still lays empty, more than a year after being pulled down.

Norden House was demolished in July 2020, to be replaced by Neon, a development of 45,000 square foot of Grade A office space in the heart of the Basing View business district.

It was purchased by the borough council in 2018, with the view of redeveloping it, with funding from Enterprise M3, which has labelled Basingstoke as a growth area.

But despite the council telling The Gazette last year they aimed for the first occupiers would move in by 2022, the site still remains undeveloped. Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council have now appealed for a development partner to come forward.

Cabinet member for economic development Cllr Hannah Golding said: "Thanks to our £500 million regeneration project and other major investment, Basing View has undergone a major transformation and is well placed to meet changing needs as we recover from the pandemic.

“One of our key strengths is our strategic and well-connected location so this is a prime development opportunity for a partner with a great track record and reputation to come and work with us and meet occupier demand for new and flexible high-quality office accommodation.”

Neon, which is currently awaiting planning approval is, designed to deliver high quality, energy efficient and flexible five-storey office space to meet BREEAM excellent and EPC A standards.

This includes a double height atrium and ground floor business lounge, an adjacent three-storey car park with electric charging points and 57 cycle spaces.

It is located a short walk from Basingstoke train station and the town centre.