BRITISH Gas Business (BGB) will build a new multi-million-pound headquarters for 1,000 people in the city, we can reveal.

An eco-friendly state-of-the-art premises, dubbed the jewel in the company’s crown, could open at Oxford Business Park, in Cowley, by 2013.

At the moment, staff are spread over three different offices at the park, but are all expected to be moved into the new site.

It means the firm, which boasts an annual £3bn turnover, has also decided to switch its HQ from Staines to Oxford.

Kanat Emiroglu, managing director of BGB, said the move showed the firm’s commitment to the city.

He said: “This building represents a major investment and demonstrates our commitment and confidence in Oxford as a key location for our business.

“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.”

The company said there will be no jobs created directly by the decision, but bosses have highlighted the availability of quality staff as a major reason for the move.

Oxford Business Park operator Goodman is building the new centre and it is not known how much it will cost.

However, we have learned BGB has taken out a £26m lease, which is expected to run for 17 years.

Construction will start in September, subject to planning consent from Oxford City Council.

James Colman, a spokesman for British Gas Business, said: “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 BGB.”

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

James Raven, development director at Goodman, added: “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.

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

Oxford East MP Andrew Smith said: “This is a major vote of confidence in Oxford as a great location for this sort of skilled work.

“Anything that can support these kind of high-value jobs is to be welcomed.

“It will also help the efficiency of the BGB operation and hopefully that is good news for its customers as well.”