Blade skyscraper ready for launch

The Blade will tower over Reading town centre (C) Don Cload

A £32m skyscraper, the tallest in Reading, is to open later this month.

Standing at 420ft (128m), the Blade towers over the town centre, replacing the 12-storey Thames Tower as the focal point of the town.

Lead developer PMB Holdings believe London businesses can more than halve their business costs by relocating to the 'iconic' building.

The Blade will open for business at the end of April and developers are "quietly confident" of its success.

Ed Jones, property director at PMB, said: "We are trying to attract local occupiers to move to our space… people have leases coming to an end and want to improve the working environment for their staff.

"In terms of providing the quality of building on a par with London buildings, and being able to save over 50% in occupational costs, it makes an awful lot of sense."