Property crisis – what crisis? SNP plans move to swish new HQ near Holyrood

Officials have been searching for a new home after deciding to relocate from the current run-down base in McDonald Road, Edinburgh.

Party chiefs have prioritised finding a base in the Holyrood area to bring staff closer to those working in the parliament and MSPs.

The leading contender is believed to be a new office block, Gordon Lamb House, which has been completed in the past few months and is next to the Edinburgh headquarters of the BBC.

However, the SNP could be in for a surprise if another tenant eyeing up the same building, goes ahead with a deal. News International, the publisher of the Sun, is in the final stages of talks to move into the building.

The SNP has been based in a drab two-storey building on an industrial estate on McDonald Road for more than seven years since selling off its long-time HQ on Charlotte Square to raise cash for the party.

The SNP actually faced being homeless in 2000 after struggling to find a new base, because of the property boom in the capital.

The party has been considering renting the top two floors of the four-storey Gordon Lamb block. It is located behind the old Scottish & Newcastle brewery clocktower, which became a Pizza Express restaurant four years ago. That building was home to the whistle which told workers at the brewery when to clock off, and also stored the water used for beer-making.

One party insider said: "The current headquarters is OK for what we need, but it's a bit off the beaten track and is a bit of a gloomy building.

"We could also do with a lot more space, particularly in the run-up to elections.

"Having a base at Holyrood would be absolutely ideal because of the close proximity to the parliament and a modern office would better suit the party's current requirements."

A spokeswoman for the SNP said: "The lease is up on our McDonald Road building later this year and we are actively looking for new premises.

"Nothing has been confirmed as yet, but there is a desire to be a lot nearer to the parliament building. Location is the most important factor."

Hamish Sutherland, a director at Colliers, one of the agents handling the building, said: "There has been quite a lot of interest in the building from various parties and I can confirm we have had discussions recently with both the SNP and News International.

"Gordon Lamb House is a logical location for a political party because it is right next to the Tun building, which is home to a number of organisations like the BBC, and is so close to the parliament. It's currently a very popular area now for a certain size of operation."

No-one from News International was available for comment yesterday. The company's current office in Edinburgh is just off St Andrew Square.

The head offices of the Liberal Democrats in Scotland are in Edinburgh's Haymarket area while the Conservatives have a base on Princes Street. Labour's Scottish HQ is in Glasgow.