Green light for £13m industrial scheme

How the Kimal unit will look

Construction of a 140,000 sq ft headquarters building at the new £120m Worcester Six Business Park will begin shortly after planners gave the development the green light.

Commercial property developer Stoford Developments has gained planning consent from Wychavon District Council to build the unit after securing Kimal as its first secured tenant.

The Worcester Six scheme will provide 1.5 million sq ft of accommodation and is hoped to create up to 5,000 jobs.

Kimal, which develops and manufactures a range of innovative products and procedural solutions for the healthcare sector, has agreed a 15-year lease for the £13m unit. Construction began this month on the estate road with the main building construction due to commence in early 2018. Practical completion is expected in mid-2018.

Stoford said the new headquarters demonstrated Kimal’s determination to remain in Worcestershire where it will continue to grow, with plans to create up to an additional 100 jobs.

The company’s success has seen it outgrow its existing accommodation at Droitwich and Redditch. Employees at these two centres will be relocated to the new HQ. The company will continue to operate at sites in Bromsgrove and Uxbridge.

Gerard Ludlow, of Stoford, said: “The agreement with Kimal marked a significant milestone as it was the first pre-let occupier to be secured at the site. Now that we have planning consent we can begin construction and look forward to the company moving to Worcester Six next year.”

Cllr Ken Pollock, Worcestershire’s cabinet member with responsibility for Economy and Infrastructure, said: “Confirming Kimal as the first occupier on Worcester Six is a big step forward in the right direction and reinforces Worcester Six as one of the premier employment locations in the Midlands. I look forward to more of the businesses that are currently considering the site committing over the coming months.”

Gary Woodman, chief executive of Worcestershire Local Enterprise Partnership, said: “It is great to see that planning consent has been approved for the construction of Kimal’s new headquarters at Worcester Six.

“Kimal’s expansion highlights the benefits of investing in Worcestershire, as the med-tech business has been able to secure a new highly-connected headquarters to continue its rapid growth and create even more jobs for the county’s skilled workforce.”

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