Saga’s decision to reopen its headquarters in a Kent village will make a “real difference’”, says a local council leader.
Workers have steadily been returning to the firm’s Enbrook Park office, which was mothballed in March 2023 when a post-pandemic rise in working from home left the building underused.
But while planning permission to turn those offices into 62 flats has since expired – the company hasn’t ruled out other development in the future and is understood to still be considering its long-term options for the site as part of a wider property strategy.
Saga, led by philanthropist Sir Roger De Haan, offers a range of products and services exclusively for the over 50s, including insurance and holidays and is one of the county’s biggest employers.
Cllr Tim Prater, who is chairman of Sandgate Parish Council, deputy leader of Folkestone and Hythe District Council and a county councillor, says bringing the huge office complex back into use is a big boost for the local economy.
He said: “The extra footfall and customers it brings to the High Street makes a real difference there, and helps support Sandgate’s array of restaurants, pubs, cafes, coffee shops, shops and more.”
The enormous building, which can be seen from the seafront, is designed and built to accommodate around 1,000 Saga employees.
But after the pandemic, with just 120 people said to be using the office more than twice a week, a decision was made in early 2023 to switch the company to a hybrid model involving the use of smaller office hubs and allowing staff to spend more time working from home.
But having now re-established its central office space, those smaller Kent hubs are understood to have now closed, while staff will continue with a hybrid working arrangement, splitting their time between HQ and home.
A spokesperson for Saga added: “Saga is pleased to have reopened Enbrook as the Group’s main Kent office.
“Enbrook has a rich Saga heritage and is a place which many colleagues are already familiar with and have a fondness for.
“We have undertaken a phased move to Enbrook which began in March 2025.”
In 2021, Saga secured “prior approval” to convert its office headquarters into 62 flats with an equal split between one and two-bedroom homes, plus space for a concierge, a communal lounge and 62 car parking spaces – permission for which has since expired.
Much of the wider 27-acre Enbrook Park site is open to the public who come to enjoy its picturesque parkland and peaceful areas.
Cllr Prater says Saga’s site’s manager has done a “heroic” job of keeping the area looking nice since the firm departed the buildings in 2023.
The return of staff is added protection too, says Cllr Prater, for the acres of Enbrook Park locals are protective of.
He added: “Local residents were always determined that the park, its trees and open spaces would be protected from development, and Saga’s ongoing presence here really helps that.”
