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The company, whose operatives answer calls on behalf of the NHS around the clock, is to set up at Nicholson House in Stoke Gifford. The office opening will see Harmoni operate from the Bristol area for the first time.
Rental arrangements were agreed on a sub-lease basis with the Audit Commission, which left the relevant Nicholson House offices earlier in 2012 to consolidate its offices over the next year.
Local property experts from GVA acted on behalf of the Audit Commission to iron out the terms of the letting.
Amy Bullamore from GVA’s office agency team in Bristol said that the proximity of the new offices to key local transport links and the “flexibility of the space” were essential factors in drawing Harmoni to Nicholson House.
She added that the rental arrangement deal was notably large in scale by the standards of Bristol’s fringe markets, where space is in demand but lettings involve an average of only 4,500 sq ft. Bullamore said: “Lack of Grade A space in the city means that well-specified second-hand space, such as that available at Nicholson House, is now being snapped up.”
Back in November, GVA’s senior regional director in Bristol, David Mace, called on the city’s first and newly elected mayor, George Ferguson, to take bold steps to improve Bristol’s competitiveness as a business location.
“I would urge Mr Ferguson to listen carefully to what business in Bristol has to say. Improvements in infrastructure, an integrated transport plan together with a clear vision for growth that includes embracing inward investment should all be seen as a priority,” Mr Mace said.
Editor’s notes:
Harmoni was created by a merger of ECI Healthcare Investment’s WCI Group’s IT services division and the Harmoni GP cooperative. In 2012, the company was one of the most successful out-of-hours providers and won the Government’s NHS 111 helpline contract.
Harmoni was sold at the end of 2012 by ECI Partners to Care UK for £48 million.