Plans submitted for £1bn cancer research and treatment centre in London

The 12-acre development will sit adjacent to the Institute of Cancer Research and the Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust’s Sutton site

Plans have been submitted for a new £1bn development to create a leading centre for cancer research and treatment in London.

The development in Sutton, south London, will be delivered on a 12-acre site at the London Cancer Hub, a multi-partner project aimed at bringing together life sciences companies, academic researchers at the Institute of Cancer Research (ICR) and clinicians at the Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, to drive innovation in cancer research.

The new centre will sit adjacent to the ICR and the Royal Marsden’s Sutton site, and is set to deliver around one million square feet of research and laboratory space. It will offer large-scale facilities for global pharmaceutical and life sciences companies, as well as smaller, flexible lab and incubator spaces for start-ups. Its buildings will also be able to accommodate wet labs, Good Manufacturing Practice facilities and specialist equipment.

A planning application for the development has been submitted to the London Borough of Sutton following “extensive consultation” with the local community and is expected to be determined this year, according to Aviva Capital Partners and mixed-use developer Socius.

Kristian Helin, chief executive of the ICR, said: “We’re very pleased to be working with Aviva Capital Partners and Socius on plans to further build the thriving multidisciplinary research district in Sutton, and we’re hoping that the project will attract a range of companies to locate here alongside us, as well as provide a home for companies that spin out from our science in the future.

“The London Cancer Hub has great potential to enhance our scientific partnerships with companies in the pharmaceutical and broader life sciences industries, in areas from the discovery and development of new cancer drugs to the creation of new treatment and diagnostic technologies.”

Alongside the ICR and the Royal Marsden, partners already on site at the London Cancer Hub include Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals NHS Trust, cancer support charity Maggie’s and local secondary school Harris Academy Sutton.

The latest development is expected to create 3,000 jobs, with the majority being in high-skilled research and development, and small-scale manufacturing related to life sciences. Once complete, the London Cancer Hub is predicted to support 13,000 jobs and contribute an estimated £1.2bn per year (Gross Value Added) to the UK economy, according to an analysis by London Borough of Sutton.

Dame Cally Palmer, chief executive of the Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, said: “The Royal Marsden’s Sutton site is home to a flourishing research community between the Royal Marsden and the ICR that consistently translates innovative ideas in drug discovery from the laboratory to the clinical setting for the benefit of cancer patients worldwide.

“We support the vision for the London Cancer Hub and the investment from Aviva Capital Partners to bring [the] life sciences industry on to the site. We anticipate this will facilitate greater collaboration and foster an environment of excellence to further our work developing new and improved ways to diagnose, treat and care for our patients.”