London Cancer Hub's £1bn campus plans approved

A £1bn plan to build a new research and development campus at the London Cancer Hub has been approved.

The campus will be built on a five-hectare site next to the Royal Marsden hospital and Institute for Cancer Research in Sutton, south London. It will support 13,000 jobs and contribute £1.2bn to the local economy, according to the project team.

Developers say the new facility will support collaboration between researchers, clinicians and external companies to "drive scientific breakthroughs".

The chief executive of The Institute of Cancer Research (ICR), Prof Kristian Helin, said another aim is to boost "pioneering discoveries" that will ultimately save patients lives.

The current London Cancer Hub was opened in 2019, and is already ranked number one in Europe for cancer research and treatment. The new campus will make the facility the world's largest cancer life science district, according to Sutton Council.

It is home to The Institute of Cancer Research and The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, alongside the Innovation Gateway, which supports early-stage life sciences companies.

Councillor Barry Lewis, leader of the London Borough of Sutton, said the expansion plans mark a "hugely significant moment for Sutton" and said the new hub "cements Sutton as a leading global destination for cancer drug discovery".

The new buildings will be built to be environmentally friendly, and will "target net-zero carbon in operation".

The development, on Sutton council-owned land, will also include affordable homes for approximately 220 key workers and new public spaces designed to "support wellbeing, collaboration and community".

Prof Helin said the project would attract "innovative companies and deepening collaboration between academia, industry and the NHS".

He added: "This environment will further strengthen our world-leading research and help us attract the very best scientists and students from around the world.

Delivery of the project will be overseen by developers Socius, and funded by Aviva Capital Partners, alongside future grants.

To support the new centre, a £14m award was secured from the government's Levelling Up Fund to double the frequency of trains from nearby Belmont Station and improve journey times between the London Cancer Hub and central London by 2027.

Howard Dawber, deputy mayor of Business and Growth, Greater London Authority, said: "I am thrilled that planning consent has been granted to expand the London Cancer Hub, enabling the development of this world-leading facility.

"I have seen first-hand the incredible work that the hub delivers, and this expansion will create thousands of jobs, support emerging businesses and attract investment, while driving life-saving scientific research."

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