Healthcare firm submits plans for £2m R&D facility in Halifax

GAMA Healthcare Ltd., a manufacturer and developer of infection control products for the healthcare sector, has submitted a planning application to Calderdale Council to build a new two-story research and development facility.

The location of the proposed scheme, which is expected to cost £2m, spreads across 11, 765 sq ft in North Dean Business Park, on Stainland Road, Halifax.

Fletcher-Rae, a Manchester-based architectural firm, has been hired to design the development for GAMA Healthcare.

The architect’s first step will be demolishing the former 1970s Riverside House, depleting on site, to make way for the new building.

Ben Battye, Fletcher Rae director, commented: “The scheme, spread over two floors, will comprise an open plan office environment and cutting edge research laboratories, as well as auxiliary space for the production of test product samples.

“GAMA are very keen on staff interaction and several informal ‘break out’ spaces have been incorporated. An outdoor terrace overlooking the river is included to host informal meetings and external dining.

“The new facility will house GAMA’s staff that have been working nearby in a temporary space in Luddendenfoot, since their previous workplace in Calderdale was badly damaged in the Boxing day floods in 2015.”

GAMA Healthcare is aligning its new laboratories with the criteria set out in the ISO 17025 standard, incorporating mock hospital rooms to replicate real life scenarios and including a pilot plant to allow experimental small product runs.

Dr. Guy Braverman, managing director and co-founder of GAMA Healthcare, added: “The new infrastructure, we’re proposing, provides a progressive permanent home and allots room for us to expand.

“In the first year of operation, GAMA Healthcare will be looking to recruit for at least 10 new positions for varied roles in microbiology, biomedical science, chemistry, quality control, analytical services, technician and administration.”

If the scheme receives the green light for development, Fletcher Rae will work with the main contractor, Hargreaves Contracting Ltd.

The building is considered an offspring to GAMA Healthcare’s head office in Watford and will support the company’s international presence, involving offices in six cities across three continents.

GAMA Healthcare is now the largest supplier of wet and dry wipes in the United Kingdom. It’s products are in every NHS hospital and are sold in 60 countries worldwide.

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