NHS Property Services has secured planning consent for a major new life sciences cluster in the heart of Whitechapel in London.
The Whitechapel Road Project will see six new and repurposed buildings delivered providing 79,975 sq m (circa 860,000 sq ft) of commercial workspaces, life science laboratories and higher education space, alongside new public amenities, including green spaces, squares, cafés and community spaces.
The masterplan for the series of outdated buildings and empty sites around the Royal London Hospital, which was designed by Allies and Morrison, was supported by Barts Health NHS Trust, Queen Mary University London the Greater London Authority and the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. Allies and Morrison and Gibson Thornley have designed the buildings in the new cluster.
An NHS Property Services spokesperson said: “We’re delighted that the strategic development committee has approved our planning application which will create a new home for life sciences in Whitechapel. The approval of the planning application is the next step in delivering this long-held vision, which is shared with Queen Mary University of London, Barts NHS Health Trust, the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, and other stakeholders.
“The proposals will regenerate a series of outdated buildings and empty sites around the Royal London Hospital, being the catalyst in creating a thriving life science cluster. The development will deliver a range of economic, health and social benefits for Tower Hamlets, including the creation of thousands of jobs, as well as attracting major investment into the UK’s life science sector.”
Hayden French, director and head of workplace at Allies and Morrison, added: “We have been working closely with a broad range of stakeholders for over six years and I am thrilled that our life science cluster proposals have been approved by Tower Hamlets. The Whitechapel Road project will be transformational for the East End bringing extensive new and improved public spaces, a group of contextual and responsible workplace buildings, and an ecosystem of new businesses to supplement the already rich and diverse Whitechapel neighbourhood.”
Matt Thornley, co-founder of Gibson Thornley, said: “The development will help cement Whitechapel as a major life science hub, bringing new jobs and knowledge to build upon the existing NHS sites and Queen Mary Campus. The approval by Tower Hamlets is a great milestone in delivering the scheme, and it will be exciting to see the regeneration of the area and improvements for the local community.”
