Mencap has announced it has sold its £8.5m central London office building, which it has owned for 45 years.

The learning disability charity said an increase in remote working had prompted the move to sell the 34,156 square foot site in Golden Lane. The building was built in 1891 and has been owned by the charity since 1978.

It is to relocate its London operations to a new site in Spitalfields from November 6 that is “more in line” with the charity’s “requirements for 2023 and beyond”.

“Like many organisations, our offices are used differently and less frequently since the pandemic, with many colleagues choosing to take advantage of remote working,” said Mencap’s acting chief executive Jackie O’Sullivan.

“This means we don’t require the size of office space that we currently own.”

She added: “We have consulted with colleagues across the organisation to ensure that the new space is inclusive, accessible, and meets the needs of our diverse workforce.

“We’re really excited to move to a smaller, more modern and fit-for-purpose space, that allows for collaboration between colleagues, improved accessibility and accommodates hybrid ways of working.”

Mencap, which is headquartered in Peterborough, is the latest charity to sell its office space due to the increase in remote and hybrid working arrangements.

Last year Parkinson’s UK sold its Vauxhall Bridge site. Through the deal it is to remain at the site for three years to give it time to search for new office space and incorporate remote working within the organisation.

Also last year the RSPCA sold its six hectare West Sussex site, with a smaller central London base used for its lobbying team and other staff working under home or hybrid arrangements.

Others to sell central London sites have included the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB), which shared its former building with the charity Guide Dogs.

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