Innovation park welcomes NHS office

Ashtenne/Space Northwest has let 30,000 sq ft at Liverpool Innovation Park to Liverpool Community Health NHS Trust on a 10-year lease.

LCH, which delivers community healthcare to 750,000 people in Sefton and Liverpool, will relocate to its new address in April 2013, bringing together 390 members of staff who are currently working from a number of sites throughout the city region.

Emily Armstrong, regional manager at Ashtenne/Space Northwest, said: "We are extremely pleased to welcome Liverpool Community Health NHS Trust to Liverpool Innovation Park.

"The team has worked closely with LCH to ensure that the accommodation met with its occupational requirements and to guarantee its successful transition to LIP.

"We let over 90,000 sq ft of space at Liverpool Innovation Park in 2012, illustrating the increasing popularity of LIP as one of Liverpool's premier business locations."

Chris Lloyd, associate director at DTZ, agent on Liverpool Innovation Park, said: "This represented the largest office transaction in Liverpool in 2012 and is a culmination of lengthy and detailed negotiations. This letting demonstrates Liverpool Innovation Park's ability to provide occupational solutions to all sectors and sizes within Merseyside."

Bernie Cuthel, chief executive of Liverpool Community Health, said: "This move is part of our wider estates strategy, and the aim of it is to increase our efficiency as an organisation by housing our staff in flexible work spaces or 'hubs', supported by technology that better facilitates agile and mobile working.

"Our decision to relocate to Liverpool Innovation Park was based largely on its high quality facilities, value for money and its prominent location which is ideal as our corporate HQ.

"We will have 390 employees based at the Park initially, and the wide range of facilities available at LIP offers the perfect location for ensuring a healthy, well supported and effective workforce."

CBRE acted for Liverpool Community Health in the lease negotiations. Liverpool Innovation Park is operated by Space Northwest, a joint venture between Ashtenne Industrial Fund and the Homes & Communities Agency. Liverpool Innovation Park is part funded by the European Regional Development Fund.