The office of WWF Cymru is to relocate from Cardiff Bay to Cardiff city centre with Lambert Smith Hampton (LSH) negotiating the terms of the deal.
Acting on behalf of WWF, the national commercial property consultancy has secured the lease on a 2,047 sq ft suite on the first floor of the landmark building Churchill House on Churchill Way.
WWF is one of the largest and most respected independent conservation organisations in the world, employing some 300 staff in the UK, 12 of which are based at WWF Cymru.
With the organisation set to leave its current accommodation at Baltic House on Mount Stuart Square by the end of 2015 Churchill House will, according to LSH’s Kate Simpson, satisfy WWF’s requirements perfectly as it combines a quality working environment with a good central location close to travel hubs and other facilities to meet the needs of its staff.
Mark Sutton of Knight Frank who acted for the landlords LaSalle Investment Management said: “WWF have benefitted from a full refurbishment of the first floor suite that created a high quality working environment. Churchill House is always a popular option for occupiers offering quality offices close to all the city centre amenities and there are now opportunities available from 3,000 sq ft in the building.”
Adds Kate Simpson: “Whilst all our clients have a clear objective when it comes to the business space they desire, WWF also has a responsibility that their offices should reflect as many of their standards as an organisation as possible. This was a challenge but we believe that Churchill House is a suitable environment for WWF”.
Anne Meikle of WWF Cymru says of the move: “Cardiff Bay has served us extremely well for the past 15 years but it was time for us to find a space that would better serve our needs. Now we are within easy walking distance of Queen Street rail station and other public transport services as well benefitting from more space.
“Whilst still being within easy reach of the Senedd, this new location has the advantage of being closer to the Welsh Government departments we need to talk to on a day-to-day basis about key environmental issues such as marine conservation, resource use and climate change. LSH worked with us to understand what we were looking for and I think that Churchill House will meet our needs and be a good working environment.”.