Troubled materials firm Hanson plans to lease out its new 拢16m head office in Bedford and put its aircrete blocks business up for sale to combat the recession

The moves form part of a business review by its German parent company Heidelberg Cement, which bought the company for 拢8bn in 2007.

A source close to the process said the leasing out of the sustainable flagship building was an 鈥渆motional blow鈥� for the company. 鈥淚t is a beautiful building. It鈥檚 about to be completed and all of a sudden it鈥檚 been ripped from them.鈥�

The sale of aircrete block business Hanson Thermalite is part of a strategy to focus on its core products of aggregates, cement and concrete.

In April, Hanson said it had shed about 30% of its staff since the start of the financial crisis.

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