The council has agreed to sell Unit A at Waterside Park after the authority’s top branch said it was “best deal” for the property.

The unit, which is one of three owned by the council on the estate, will be sold for more than £1m after the authority decided against refurbishing or demolishing the dilapidated building.

Cllr Peter Heydon said: “This is the optimum solution for us.

“It is the result of a very good strategy.

“Financially, this is the optimum solution for the property.

“It is helping a company stay in Bracknell and we must not lose site of that.”

The unit was built as a data centre in 1986 and the highest bidder for the site is set to occupy the building themselves.

Councillor Marc Brunel-Walker last week objected to plans for new homes on the site of an unused office because he believes the borough needs more work spaces.

He said: “This (decision) demonstrates us moving quickly and making the best deal for this site.

“It is a great outcome and a significant amount of work has gone into this.

“It is a sensible way forward.”

The site was purchased by the council in 2016 for £4.3m and Cllr Heydon claimed the authority’s strategy was generating £3m a year in rent from tenants.

The previous occupiers moved out of the site in February having allegedly left the building dilapidated.

A report produced for the council claimed refurbishing the building would have cost the council £1.7m and demolishing the site would have set the authority back more than £6m.

An officer suggested that the sale of the unit to the preferred bidder means the council is allowed to pursue a legal claim against the previous tenants in order to receive compensation for the damage done to the property.

The council’s executive branch approved the sale of the site unanimously at a meeting on Tuesday, October 16.