Suffolk County Council is buying another office block on the edge of town to add to its Landmark House development.

It is currently negotiating the purchase of Beacon House, in a bid to ensure that it has enough space for its staff and those from the police.

Beacon House is partially occupied by Fred Olsen Cruise Lines and Sanctuary Housing Association and their tenancies are not likely to be affected by the county’s purchase of the building’s freehold.

A spokesman for the county council said that the deal had not yet been finalised so it was not possible to discuss the cost of the purchase.

But it was seen as an important long-term acquisition because it would give extra space if the number of staff working from Landmark House increased.

The Whitehouse industrial estate is becoming a significant hub for the public sector – as well as Landmark House, which opened as offices for the council and police in 2012, and Beacon House, it is also home to the county’s highways department at Phoenix House which is now operated by its partner Kier MG.