A leading UK independent hospital group, Spire Healthcare, has been secured as the second pre-let occupier at the prestigious £120 million Worcester Six Business Park, Stoford Developments have announced.
Spire Healthcare, the UK’s largest private hospital provider in terms of revenue, has agreed a 20-year lease on a new 72,500 sq ft unit at the site at a rent of £6.05 per sq ft. The move to the £9 million unit could create around 60 jobs.
A planning application has been approved by Wychavon District Council. Construction is expected to get underway in Q1 2018, Stoford director Gerard Ludlow confirmed.
Kimal PLC was announced as the first pre-let occupier at Worcester Six last year. The development, located just off junction six of the M5, will provide 1.5 million sq ft of accommodation and create up to 5,000 jobs.
Spire Healthcare, a FTSE 250 listed business, is already a major employer in Worcestershire with a hospital at South Bank in Worcester and The Spire Clinic in Droitwich. The new building will be ancillary to these existing healthcare facilities and will support these functions as well as other Hospitals across the UK.
Spire requires further Supply Chain infrastructure and facilities to support its clinical operations. In Worcestershire, Spire Healthcare already has a National Distribution Centre at Stonebridge Cross in Droitwich – another Stoford development – where it has a 60,000 sq ft operation providing around 70 jobs. This will continue to provide support to the Hospital Group and will not be scaled down.
The new unit will provide jobs in customer and professional services, distribution services and archive management.
Spire Healthcare’s existing portfolio consists of 39 hospitals, 10 clinics and a Specialist Cancer Care Centre across England, Wales and Scotland, providing diagnostics, in-patient, daycase and out-patient care. Spire also owns and operates sports medicine, physiotherapy and rehabilitation brand, Perform. The Group has made significant capital investment of over £875million since formation in 2007 including the development of two state-of-the-art hospitals in Manchester and Nottingham which opened in early 2017.
Gerard Ludlow said: “This is a great coup for Worcester Six, and builds upon the success of recently securing Kimal PLC. This letting underlines Spire Healthcare’s long-term commitment to Worcestershire.
“We are delighted to welcome the company to Worcester Six Business Park. It is the perfect location due to its close proximity to the company’s existing operations, as well as its excellent connectivity being so close to the M5 motorway. Worcestershire’s premier business park is a fitting location for a FTSE 250 listed business.”
Mat Mason, Group Supply Chain Director at Spire Healthcare, said: “It is imperative that Spire has a supply chain that not only copes with the strain of the business, but also adds value. We are at the next stage of our evolution to build upon the solid supply chain and infrastructure that is already in place, which has served the business well for the past 10 years. These are exciting times for all involved and will open the next chapter of the Spire supply chain so we can continue to provide a first class customer service to the Spire Healthcare Group.”
Worcestershire County Council Cabinet Member with Responsibility for Economy and Infrastructure Dr Ken Pollock: “Spire Healthcare is a very successful company and it provides wonderful care to the people of Worcestershire and beyond. For Spire to choose Worcester Six as the site for further expansion is a huge boost for the county and I’m delighted to hear that a large number of jobs will be created. “
Gary Woodman, chief executive of Worcestershire Local Enterprise Partnership, said: “We are delighted that Spire Healthcare has become the second company to secure a space on the new Worcester Six site. Spire Healthcare’s expansion onto Worcester Six will help to create many more jobs for Worcestershire, while also providing a very important service for healthcare. We look forward to welcoming many more expanding companies on to the premier business site.”
Charles D’Auncey of Harris Lamb, who represented Stoford in the deal, said: “We’re delighted to have secured a second occupier for Worcester Six in such a short space of time. This is additional proof that the park’s location and offering are attracting high profile tenants to the site. We’re confident that the coming months will see further pre-lets and agreements at the park as others follow in the footsteps of Spire Healthcare and Kimal PLC.”
