Towlet Hamlets grants planning permission to NBBJ-designed innovation centre in Whitechapel, East London

Planning permissions has been granted for a £28m biosciences centre in Whitechapel, East London. The Biosciences Innovation Centre for Queen Mary, University of London was approved in late December by Tower Hamlets Council.

The building is designed for the study of life sciences and comprises 40,000 sq ft of laboratories and offices. The aim is to attract start-up companies from Queen Mary and independent firms outside the University.

The centre will also house facilities for students and staff at Queen Mary’s School of Medicine and Dentistry, including a lecture theatre.

Construction of the innovation centre designed by architect NBBJ is expected to begin later this year, with completion expected by late 2008.

Professor Adrian Smith, Principal of Queen Mary, University of London, said: “ The Innovation Centre will provide the high quality facilities needed by entrepreneurial scientists to commercialise their research, allowing them to remain in east London, as well as attracting new companies to this part of the capital.”

The Innovation Centre will be located in an area of east London that is developing into a ‘Life Sciences cluster’, centred around Queen Mary’s Medical School and the Royal London Hospital. This network of world class clinical, teaching and research resources offers exciting benefits for both healthcare research and the development/regeneration of the area.

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