Monday, 23 November, 2020
We are excited to announce the opening of our new headquarters in Huddersfield.
The Victorian building in New North Road has been named the ‘Highfield Suite’. It will become our main office, as well as providing flexible office and meeting rooms for local businesses.
The extra office space will complement our clinics that continue to run from Tower Clinic, Leeds and Holme Valley Clinic in Honley, following year-on-year growth since COHS was launched in 2014.
After an extensive programme of refurbishment work, the stunning, Grade II listed building is now nearing completion.
The previously out-dated office space has been modernised to accommodate flexible working. Attractive original features, such as open fireplaces, cornices, sashes, balustrades and stonework, have been carefully restored.
With ease of parking facilities and the convenience of location, just off junction 24 of the M62 – ideally situated between Leeds and Manchester – the spacious site was chosen for its size and location.
The imposing building will provide additional and more generous office space and meeting rooms. As well as privacy, there will be a flexible use of space, with a communal area and opportunities for people to spend time away from their desks.
Operations Manager Paul Hinchliffe, for COHS, said: “While renovating the building during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic we have been able to use our expertise in occupational health to ensure the building is Covid secure. For instance, we have no soft furnishings and there is good ventilation throughout, having fully restored windows and balconies.”
Dr Nicola Dann, GP, Founder and Director of COHS, said it was a great opportunity to breathe new life into a mid-19th century building in the heart of her hometown.
“We have refurbished the building to the highest of standards for both sustainability and wellbeing and are really excited with the opportunities our new headquarters will offer us,” she said.
“Not only will the building bring the company together under one roof, but the new facilities will also provide us with the ability to improve working facilities for staff, as well as client experience and satisfaction.”
Originally named Belle Vue House, we understand Joseph Lowenthal inherited the house from his brother Louis in 1884. Joseph, a German-born wool merchant, was a prominent Freemason who lived at The Grange, Halifax Road, Huddersfield and established the Lowenthal Bros in Huddersfield in 1848. His daughter, the late Bertha Lowenthal, a suffragette, was a member of the Women’s Social and Political Union and became vice-president of the Huddersfield branch in 1907. Joseph later sold the building to Thomas Holliday, part of the Read Holliday Chemicals family dynasty. The firm later became known as ICI and today, Astra Zeneca.
Dr Dann said: “When we looked into the building’s history, we discovered a photograph taken outside of a broken carriage ready to be towed away by a horse-drawn cart. I thought it quite poignant that as we give this historic building its new lease of life, our aim is to help people back on the road to recovery, just as this photograph suggests.”
By helping employees better manage their health, the doctor-led team at COHS helps companies to reduce sickness levels and increase productivity.
“Our plans may have been delayed by a global pandemic, but it certainly hasn’t stopped us in moving forwards. There is no doubt Covid has had an unprecedented effect on our economy. We all know that employees can be your biggest cost but if they are happy and healthy, they can also be your biggest asset.
“That’s why it makes sense to look after your employees. I am confident our new HQ will help us to help you do just that,” she said.