THE National Farmers' Union is quitting its London headquarters for a prestigious new landmark building in the heart of rural Warwickshire.

A planning application for the new headquarters at Stoneleigh Park has been put in and the two-storey crescent-shaped site will provide 25,000 sq ft of flexible office space and meetings rooms with associated parking to house 100-plus staff.

It is being designed to reduce energy usage and will achieve high environmental standards, making use of renewable raw materials.

The NFU announced its intention to move its HQ to Warwickshire as part of a review of the organisation published in July. The move is scheduled to take place in the summer of 2005.

Roger Ward, the NFU director in charge of the move, said: "This will be a state of the art prestigious development which will provide a home for our staff and a meeting place for our farmer members to enable us to meet their needs into the 21st century."

Mike Calvert, chief executive of the Royal Agricultural Society of England, owners of Stoneleigh Park, said: "We are delighted to welcome the NFU here as part of the first stage in delivering our vision for a national rural centre that is accessible for all and showcases the industry on an international platform."

The innovation park is part of a multi-million pound re-development to create a national centre of excellence for food, farming and the countryside.