Ombudsman takes 55,000 sq ft at Daresbury Park

OMBUDSMAN Services, which handles dispute resolution for the communications, energy, property and copyright licensing sectors, has taken a 55,000 sq ft office building at Daresbury Park.

It is moving from the nearby Wilderspool Business Park to the 3300 Daresbury Park building at junction 11 of the M56 and expects to initially occupy 28,300 sq ft with the remainder sub-let to software firm Appsense.

The deal has been described as one of the biggest of the year in the North West and is likely to be followed by another significant requirement in the area from a joint venture that has picked up a major nuclear contract. Mace, Areva and Atkins has been selected as preferred bidder for a nuclear waste facility and has instructed Lambert Smith Hampton to search for a 50,000 sq ft office in Birchwood.

CBRE acted for Ombudsman Services to assign a 12-year lease from insurer Aegon, which was represented by DTZ and JLL. The landlord, J Clarke Property Investments, was represented by Mason Owen.

Chief Ombudsman Lewis Shand Smith said: “It’s been a successful few years for Ombudsman Services and as a result we’re delighted to be able to grow the business so substantially. Our expansion into premises at Daresbury Park is the latest step in our journey and we are pleased to have secured modern accommodation that meets our growing needs in Warrington.

“While we operate across the UK, we’re very proud of our heritage and roots in Warrington, having been here since our creation in 2002, so it is very important for us and all of our staff to remain in the area. Last year we helped a growing number of consumers resolve their complaints, so increasing our workforce means that we can help many more, whilst also directly supporting the local economy.”

Mark Worthington, director of Office Agency at CBRE Liverpool, said; “After a short but intensive search of both existing and Design & Build opportunities within the

Warrington area, Building 3300 at Daresbury Park was the stand-out option for a number of reasons. Despite being 12 years old, it is a high quality, contemporary building within one of the best business parks in the region, plus we were able to secure a very competitive deal from Aegon and the head landlord.”

Existing occupiers at Daresbury Park include ABB, Babcock International, Hewlett Packard and the 4-star Daresbury Park Hotel.