USS Investment Management has let 58,179 square feet to residential agent and Lambert Smith Hampton owner Connells at Witan Gate House in Milton Keynes, the largest office letting in the city centre since 2015, CoStar News can reveal.
On practical completion of the refurbishment in the first quarter of 2026, Witan Gate House will be fully let with Connells joining existing occupiers Allianz, BP and the NHS.
Estate agency and property services firm Connells bought commercial real estate adviser LSH from Countrywide in 2021. It will relocate from its current head office at 16-20 Hockliffe Street, Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire.
The letting is the latest in a series of stand-out office transactions in markets outside London in recent weeks. Last week, CoStar News revealed that Microsoft had committed to the 80,000-square-foot Here building at Thames Valley Park in Reading, while it was confirmed that Hargreaves Lansdown was taking nearly 90,000 square feet at the Welcome Building in the largest office move in Bristol city centre in six years.
Jen Cottle, director of asset management at USSIM, said in a statement: "This significant letting demonstrates the strength of Witan Gate House and our ability to secure high-calibre tenants before space formally comes to market. Our investment in the comprehensive refurbishment has clearly resonated with occupiers seeking quality workspace in central locations."
Ollie McLeod, office agency director at JLL, added: "This transaction underlines the continued strength of the Milton Keynes office market despite broader sector challenges. While Grade A availability remains limited, we're seeing sustained demand from quality occupiers. Connells' commitment to Witan Gate House reflects the growing trend of businesses relocating to city centre environments that better support their talent attraction and retention strategies."
Richard Twigg, group chief financial and commercial officer at Connells, added: "Our move to Witan Gate House represents a long-term commitment to Milton Keynes as a strategic location for our business. The building's central location, high-quality specification and excellent amenities will support our operational needs while providing our colleagues with a modern, connected workspace that enhances collaboration and wellbeing."
Mark Stansfield, senior director of UK market analytics, CoStar Group, said the letting is the largest office letting in the wider Milton Keynes office market in two-and-a-half years and only the eighth deal over 50,000 square feet in the past decade.
"Coming hot off the heels of Hargreaves Lansdown’s landmark 89,000-square-foot letting in Bristol last week, there are growing signs that the recovery in office demand seen in London in the first half of 2025 is now spreading beyond the capital.”
JLL and Bidwells acted for USS Investment Management. Lambert Smith Hampton represented Connells.