Eleven years after The Princess Royal opened the British Horse Society’s (BHS) building at Stoneleigh preparations for building work to create a new headquarters have begun.
On Friday (23 October) most staff will relocate to an office near Coventry railway station and the merchandising department and the British Riding Clubs and competitions department will move to Allander House on the Royal Showground to make way for the builders.
The BHS received planning permission in April for a modern £3million headquarters to be built on the site of its present building by the end of summer 2010.
Described by Mr Cory as “well past its sell-by date”, the present BHS headquarters was built in 1962 as portable buildings on a military camp.
The new building will be a single-storey “squashed doughnut” shape, built around a courtyard housing a 200-year-old oak tree.
If all goes to plan, the new HQ will be ready by October next year.
The offices will be closed on Friday 23 and Monday 26 October but apart from that business will be as usual and the BHS phone numbers and postal address remain unaltered.
The BHS is inviting members to sponsor an element of the £3m new building, or a piece of equipment, perhaps in memory of someone special to them.
Contact the BHS on 01926 707743.
