Friends Provident is to move head office to the One New Change development in the City of London.

The decision to relocate follows its acquisition of the majority of AXA’s UK life business by the company’s owner Resolution Ltd in September 2010. Friends Provident will be one of the first companies to occupy the new offices. The company’s new home comes ahead of its planned launch of the combined business as Friends Life.

The move is expected to take place in April 2011, when Friends Provident will leave its current site in nearby Wood Street. Around 200 staff will initially be based in the new office, including the group’s executive directors and corporate teams, occupying 48,000 sq. ft. of space.

David Hynam, executive director, operations at Friends Provident said: “There is a real synergy between the flexible