The Government's 'welfare-to-work' programme has indirectly led to a further letting at Harbour Point, Musselburgh, taking the office building to full occupancy for the first time since it was acquired and redeveloped by the landlord, Cosmopolitan Investments, in 2001.

The latest tenant is Ingeus UK Ltd (formerly Work Directions), an agency that specialises in assisting people with a background of long-term unemployment, back into work. The new tenant has signed a six-year lease on 2,000 sq ft of business space at an initial quoting rent of £10 a sq ft. Ingeus is moving from its present base in nearby Eskmills Business Park to accommodate the expansion of the Musselburgh operation.


Following contracts from the Department of Work and Pensions, the company has opened several Scottish offices in recent months in Edinburgh, Livingston, Greenock, Hamilton, Kilmarnock, Irvine and Galashiels.

Beyond the UK, the Ingeus Group provides welfare-to-work services in France, Germany, Sweden and South Korea.

Welcoming the latest arrival at Harbour Point, Iain Mercer, group managing director of Edinburgh-based Cosmopolitan Investments, said: "Obviously we are extremely pleased to see the development fully occupied for the first time and for the remaining available space to have been taken by such a prestigious international organisation, whose role provides a great business and social benefit."

Peter Fleming of Montagu Evans, joint letting agent for Harbour Point, said that moving to Harbour Point enabled Ingeus to double its current space at Musselburgh, a move that was made necessary following the award of a local Job Centre contract.

Savills was the other joint letting agent, while Ingeus was represented by James Barr.

Towards the end of 2009, another 2,000 sq ft of space at Harbour Point was let to Curves, a global branded provider of women's fitness centres, after East Lothian Council's planning committee granted a change of use for part of the building from Class 4 (offices) to Class 11 (leisure).

(GK/BMcC)