SpaMedica to open latest hospital in Wokingham

Published by

Nicky Godding

Berkshire landlords Thomas Lawrence & Sons Ltd, have completed a new major letting in Wokingham to NHS eyecare services provider SpaMedica. They have leased the former detached office Quoin House on Fishponds Road comprising c13,100 sq ft. The new hospital will provide NHS Ophthalmology Services including Cataract Surgery and YAG Laser Capsulotomy. SpaMedica currently operates 19 eye hospitals, the new Wokingham branch has taken that total to 20 with more sites in the pipeline.

James Clarke, Head of Property at SpaMedica, said: “The site at Wokingham is just what SpaMedica looks for when setting up our new hospitals, it’s in a great location, with easy access and lots of on-site parking available for our patients. All parties involved in the transaction and development have helped us deliver a first-class eye hospital, ready to deliver NHS cataract surgery to patients across the Wokingham region.”

Graeme Canning, Head of Property at Thomas Lawrence & Sons Ltd, commented “Our refurbishment of the property was essential to re-brand the Office premises to enable us to attract a National Occupier of SpaMedica’s quality to Wokingham in what is a very challenging economic climate. The new hospital will be a wonderful new facility for the Town and we wish SpaMedica every success for the future.”

Neil Seager, letting agent for landlord Thomas Lawrence & Sons Limited, said: “This letting vindicates the decision to market the property to as wide an audience as possible. This approach enabled us to secure a tenant before completion of our client’s refurbishment. Going forward, repurposing of offices will be more common as the office market contracts in none core locations. Landlords that have the vison such as in Wokingham, will benefit from demand from occupiers like SpaMedica. Those that remain blinkered will I am afraid suffer longer void periods. SpaMedica is the perfect tenant for this property. They were highly professional to deal with which, with the help of Wokingham Borough Council made for a smooth transaction.”

Haslams acted for the landlord. Lawson Hubbard Lowe represented the tenant.

Nicky Godding

Nicky Godding is editor of The Business Magazine. Before her journalism career, she worked mainly in public relations moving into writing when she was invited to launch Retail Watch, a publication covering retail and real estate across Europe. After some years of constant travelling, she tucked away her passport and concentrated on business writing, co-founding a successful regional business magazine. She has interviewed some of the UK’s most successful entrepreneurs who have built multi-million-pound businesses and reported on many science and technology firsts. She reports on the region’s thriving business economy from start-ups, family businesses and multi-million-pound corporations, to the professionals that support their growth and the institutions that educate the next generation of business leaders.