He believes the staffing will boost town centre developments in Reading, as proximity to the town's station will become vital. London, oxford and Swindon are all less than half-an-hour by train, and Bristol and Southampton are accessible within an hour. Further consents have also been granted for town-centre residential schemes, and more are rumored in the pipeline. But the biggest boost to the town's demographic profile could be Prudential's plans for Kennet Valley Park - a 450 acre residential development to the west of GreenPark.

A public consultation program into the 7,500-home development is expected to begin this summer, when a detailed master plan is published.

But the intense competition for staff will continue. Companies will seek the best quality-space and facilities they can find in order to retain and recruit staff. In buildings such as BA's headquarters at Heathrow, employers are offering cafes, bars, gyms, and even internet shopping to keep employees happy.

Keith Wise at Campbell Gordon says:

"The Thames Valley attracts workers from the rest of the UK; we have to ensure they get the right working environment. The quality of the space then becomes important. Buildings that don't meet those criteria may be converted to other uses."

He believes demographic problems would not prevent international firms from choosing the area as base.

"The fundamental attractions are constant. The first one is close proximity to Heathrow Airport. Another is the proximity to central London by motorway. And it has a pool of highly skilled labour."