Office rents in Reading have returned to their 1990 peak.

New quoting rents in the Apex Plaza scheme are the same as the highest-ever rents achieved in the town. Apex Plaza, owned by PRUPIM, is quoting £29/sq.ft for space at the town-centre office scheme. The last time this was achieved in Reading was in 1990 at 121 Kings Road.

Lettings agents on the scheme are Campbell Gordon and Colliers CRE.

Duncan Campbell, son of the founder of Campbell Gordon, said: 'Rents in Reading have increased by 15% in the last two years. There's been a historical ripple effect down the M4 corridor when rents in the West End go up, this is beginning to happen here.'

Lambert Smith Hampton's most recent market report on central Reading showed that take-up in the first six months of this year was more than twice the entire take-up in 2006 - from 128,000 sq.ft to 285,000 sq.ft.

Nick Coote, director of LSH's Reading office, said: 'We have a supply crunch here, which is pushing up rents'.