A new multi-million pound headquarters for workers at British Gas Business is to be built in Oxford.

Up to 1,000 staff will move into the state-of-the-art premises at the Oxford Business Park once construction is completed early in 2013.

Currently staff are spread over three different offices at Oxford Business Park and while there will be no jobs created directly, bosses have highlighted the availability of quality staff as a major reason for the move.

It also means British Gas Business, which serves a range of commercial customers and has an annual turnover of £3bn, will switch its headquarters from Staines in Middlesex to Oxford.

Kanat Emiroglu, managing director of British Gas Business, said: “This building represents a major investment and demonstrates our commitment and confidence in Oxford as a key location for our business.

“We are delighted to be working with Goodman to realise our vision. Our new office will be a landmark example of what the office of the future can be like and will feature most of the energy efficiency technologies that British Gas offers to businesses.”

While the value of the building which is being built by Oxford Business Park operator Goodman has not been revealed, British Gas Business will pay £26m for a 17-year lease of the building. Construction will start in September subject to planning consent from Oxford City Council.

Company spokesman James Colman added: “Oxford is an important location for us as we also have offices in Cardiff and Leicester.

“There is a very good pool of talent locally for recruitment and our existing team has built a good relationship with the community.

“The building will be a jewel in the crown for British Gas Business.”

The building will be built to the latest environmental standards and will be used as a showcase by British Gas Business for green technology including ground source heat pumps and solar panels.

James Raven, development director at Goodman, said: “This is a significant deal and a leap forward in terms of building and environmental design for the out of town market.

“It shows that the right, well managed environment will continue to attract customers in good strategic locations.”

This latest deal follows a number of lettings at Oxford Business Park to major organisations such as Grant Thornton, HSS Tool Hire, Zinc Ahead and Oxfordshire County Council, further strengthening its position as Oxford’s premier business location.

The 88-acre Park is home to more than 40 companies employing over 4,500 people.