A new £6m eco-friendly office building has been opened at Milton Park, which will create space for up to 300 jobs. More than 30 guests attended the unveiling of the property - known as Number 97 - by Wantage MP Ed Vaizey.

The building, which covers more than 37,000 sq ft, has been designed as a potential headquarters for a large company.

Energy-saving innovations include solar powered water heating, rainwater harvesting, with the water being used for toilet flushing, and low-energy air conditioning.

Mr Vaizey said: "This new building represents a significant opportunity for the local economy - both in terms of jobs and business growth.

"The need for businesses to tackle the universal problem of climate change is ever-pressing and this is an excellent example of how their carbon footprint can be reduced through the latest green building techniques."

Number 97 is the latest development in a five-year, £70m pound investment programme on Milton Park.

This will include a new science campus for fledgling science and technology companies, which is due for completion in October, and a brand-new 26,000 sq ft state-of-the-art office building.