Over-50s firm Saga puts Ramsgate site up for sale

The Saga ccentre in Ramsgate Image Sibley Pares

The Saga site in Ramsgate has been put up for sale.

The over-50s firm, which had around 3,000 employees last September, has marketed the property with agents Sibley Pares as freehold with vacant possession..

The price is revealed ‘on application’ and the property listed as ‘potential for redevelopment.’

It is understood the covid pandemic has prompted a decision for more permanent home-working. The move reduces buildings but will not mean job losses.

A Saga spokesperson said: ““Following the successful transition to at-home working ushered in by the pandemic, Saga is moving to a predominately home based working model.

“This permanently flexible approach means it is no longer necessary for us to maintain as much office space as we previously held within our portfolio. Therefore, we are actively looking to close a few of our sites to allow us to focus on ensuring working from home is an exceptional experience for all of our colleagues and creating a hub at Enbrook.”

In September the firm, headquartered in Folkestone, confirmed that a number of redundancies would be made due to the impact of the pandemic on the industry..

The firm had already announced a round of cuts in the February following an internal review. This came on the heels of 100 job losses in 2017.

A drive for efficiencies was launched due to “a backdrop of a challenging external environment in Insurance and Travel.”

The Ramsgate site is based at Westwood, off the New Haine Road. It was built in 2003.

Image Sibley Pares

The 5,976.37 sq metre site includes meeting rooms, conference centre facilities, staff canteen with full commercial kitchen facilities as well as server/data rooms, shower rooms, an  office gallery, break out and 271 car parking spaces.

The agents say: “You enter the building via reception through an impressive atrium which leads through to the main open plan office environment which is fully sound proofed and has quirky design features around the central fully glazed ceiling which allows plenty of natural light into the building.

“There are a series of individual and larger meeting rooms plus conference centre facilities which can be subdivided into smaller areas plus an impressive staff canteen with full commercial kitchen facilities. There are server/data rooms, male and female wc’s & shower rooms. On the first floor mezzanine office gallery it is again primarily open plan with some separate meeting rooms and feature balcony area.

“There are various break out areas offering internal and external accommodation all situated in landscaped area with approximately 271 car parking spaces. The building also has a separate back-up generator on site as well as delivery access points.”

Saga has been contacted for further details.

Find the property listing here

7 Comments

  1. A vaccination centre is a good idea in the short term but what about after Covid? I know things are bleak at the moment but there will be an ‘after Covid’. It sounds a wonderful building so it would be good if someone looks to the future and takes it on to create an indoor ‘holiday’ action centre of some sort; an interactive museum or Aquarium for example.
    There is little in Thanet to bring holidaymakers here other than the beaches and Dreamland, both of which need good weather, theatres, if they get much needed support to keep them going and The Turner, which has limited interest. For many foreign travel will be less appealing now so let’s hope someone is brave enough to invest in the future economy of Thanet and helps to give a much needed extra facility for holiday entertainment.

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