New £900m life science campus approved

Developers say the Elevate Quarter will be "one of Europe’s largest life science campuses"

Plans for a new 15-building life science campus in Hertfordshire costing £900m have been approved.

The campus would provide 1.6 million square feet (148,645 sq m) of space for labs, offices and manufacturing facilities in Stevenage.

Developers UBS Asset Management and Reef Group said the project, named the Elevate Quarter, will be "one of Europe’s largest life science campuses", and claimed it could create up to 5,000 new jobs.

The space would also include restaurants, cafes, leisure facilities and three transport hubs providing multi-storey car and bike parking.

The buildings would be set around a central green with an interconnecting network of paths and open spaces.

Stevenage Borough Council’s planning and development committee approved the plans, which would be located alongside drugs giant GlaxoSmithKline's global research and development facility and Stevenage Bioscience Catalyst.

The approval follows the company's existing project in Stevenage - the redevelopment of The Forum shopping centre into new manufacturing facilities, which was approved in February.

'Ideally positioned'

Piers Slater, joint chief executive of Reef Group, said: "The approval of our new life science campus further cements its position as Europe's leading cluster for advanced therapies.

"Stevenage is ideally positioned to attract world-class talent and the campus will facilitate further collaboration between major multinationals and biotechs.

"The campus has been designed to allow these life science businesses to grow and scale-up over time and to create an open and accessible environment for both employees and the wider public."

Dr Sally Ann Forsyth OBE, chief executive officer of Stevenage Bioscience Catalyst, added: "This is a landmark day for Stevenage and UK science, strengthening our position on the global stage for technological and scientific excellence."

Construction was expected to start at the end of the year with completion of the first phase for the end of 2025.