Cambridge City Council, subject to S106, has given planning permission to Pioneer Group, a developer and operator of life sciences and high-tech campuses, for the redevelopment of the Grafton Centre.

In February the Planning Committee at Cambridge City Council voted in favour of the multimillion-pound regeneration for the Grafton centre, which will be converted into laboratory and office space for life sciences and tech companies. The western end of the centre will be retained and transformed into a more attractive destination for local shoppers.

It is hoped that the redevelopment will contribute towards addressing an acute demand and short supply of laboratories and offices in the Cambridge area – recognised as a national priority – while providing amenities for the local community and occupiers.

Key highlights of the approved redevelopment plan include:

• Up to 2,000 jobs from PhD to entry level created within the new science centre
• The creation of a sustainable research ‘ecosystem’ linking startups, experts and entrepreneurs in the life sciences sector
• A new community science lab/classroom with a programme of community outreach and science, technology, engineering and mathematics investment
• Positive environmental benefits, including plus 649% biodiversity net gain and 18,500 tonnes carbon savings through repurposing existing buildings
• Long-term improvements to retail, with an anticipated £111.2m extra economic impact on the surroundings.

Cambridge City Council town planners welcomed the scheme as a “significant opportunity” to bring “strong benefits economically, socially and environmentally” to the Grafton Centre and the centre of Cambridge.

Richard O’Boyle, chief executive of Pioneer Group, said: “Cambridge is at the heart of the UK’s research industry, but new lab space is in short supply and desperately needed. By providing spaces suitable for international companies, small start-ups and scale-ups in one building in the city centre, scientists here will be able to work together, as well as collaborate with mentors from Pioneer, researchers in the city’s universities and investors, to help them develop life-saving new technologies.

Michael Walters, group director at Corstorphine & Wright, designers of the scheme, said: “We are delighted to receive planning approval for the Grafton Centre redevelopment. This project represents a significant investment in the future of Cambridge, and we are ... pleased to continue our work with Pioneer Group to create desirable and flexible lab space and contribute to the city’s continued growth and development.”

Jonathan Bainbridge, partner, Planning at Bidwells, said: “We are delighted to have played a part in facilitating a scheme that will offer significant public realm improvements while tapping into the strong demand for life sciences workspace in Cambridge. The Grafton Centre is a site of vast, as-of-yet unfulfilled potential, and this holistic regeneration project will see it transformed into a thriving commercial and retail hub which gives back to the community. The success of the broader Oxford to Cambridge supercluster, which this site will be a significant addition to, relies on this kind of innovative planning and has the potential to be emulated across the region.”