Highways Agency hits the road in Bedford relocation

The Highways Agency has relocated to new offices in Bedford.

The organisation, which plans, designs, builds, operates and maintains England’s motorways and major A roads, has signed a long lease on offices at Priory Court.

A 15,267 sq ft two-storey headquarters-style office building, on Priory Business Park, Priory Court sits on a self-contained site of approximately 1.4 acres and features a private 78-space car park and landscaped grounds.

The Highways Agency is relocating from Woodlands on the Manton Lane Industrial Estate in Bedford, following the sale of its previous premises and is downsizing to Priory Court, reflecting broader trends among larger organisations reassessing their office requirements in line with hybrid working arrangements.

Priory Court occupies a prominent position on Priory Business Park, offering easy access to Bedford’s main road network, further enhancing its appeal to occupiers. It is an individually designed office facility arranged in a quadrangle to maximise natural light, with a glazed foyer, security doors, and an eight-person passenger lift providing access to open-plan office accommodation. 

Kirkby Diamond was instructed by Hastingwood Securities Limited and worked jointly with Robert Keeves of Underwoods Surveyors to market the building and introduce the new tenants.

Nathan George, associate and head of agency in Bedford, said:

“We are thrilled to have completed this letting, working alongside Robert at Underwoods. The office market, particularly for larger suites over 2,500 sq ft, has been challenging but securing the Highways Agency at Priory Court underlines Bedford’s strength as a commercial location with a bright future."
 
Taking a look at the office market across Bedford, Kirkby Diamond has let or sold a total of 58 office buildings across the region in 2025 to date. Forty-one of these transactions (70%) were under 1,500 sq ft and 13 (22%) were within the 1,501 to 5,000 sq ft range. Only four (8%) were in excess of 5,001 sq ft. 
 
Nathan added: “We have seen this trend year in year out, with the strongest demand at the smaller end of the market and limited take up of larger suites. It is encouraging to note the volume of office deals that we have transacted across the town this year. 
 
“Consistent activity shows that the Bedford office market is performing well. Larger national occupiers will always be drawn to neighbouring cities that are more established office locations, such as Milton Keynes and Cambridge, but this could be set to change over the coming years as we see new business sectors arriving in Bedford to align their operations with the arrival of Universal Studios.”

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