Backers submit plans for £1bn cancer district in London

A planning application has been filed to create "the world's leading centre for cancer research and treatment" in a London borough, backed by a massive £1 billion ($1.3bn) investment programme.

The application has been submitted by the capital investment arm of insurance company Aviva and mixed-use developer Socius, and seeks permission to develop a 12-acre site at the London Cancer Hub (LCH) in Sutton next to the renowned Royal Marsden hospital and Institute for Cancer Research.

According to the plan, Aviva Capital Partners and Socius will deliver a million square feet of "research, treatment, and innovation" spaces, alongside residential accommodation and amenities for local people and visitors.

If completed, it will make Sutton – and London – the home of the world's largest cancer life sciences district, according to the developers, who are expecting a decision from the local authorities on the proposal before the end of the year.

They estimate it could create 3,000 new jobs, mainly in "high-skilled R&D and small-scale manufacturing," and contribute £1.2 billion per year to the UK economy, along with £12 million in business rates.

If the proposed project is completed, the Hub would employ some 13,000 people and serve as an incubator for cancer-focused biotechs and other start-ups, boosting the UK's ambition to become a life sciences superpower.

The new buildings will range from large-scale facilities for bigger life sciences companies through to smaller, flexible lab and incubator spaces for start-ups, with the capacity to accommodate wet labs, good manufacturing practice (GMP) facilities, specialist equipment, and office workspaces.

Also planned are restaurants and cafes, a creche, affordable homes for approximately 220 key workers, and a 'Learning Lab', comprising classroom and educational spaces to inspire the next generation to pursue a career in science and technology.

The life sciences district project has been several years in gestation, with Sutton Council buying up land around Sutton Hospital's largely abandoned site in Belmont to allow for the expansion of the Royal Marsden and ICR. Parts of the LCH project are already up and running, including the LCH Innovation Gateway, a building housing a number of cancer-focused companies, and the ICR's £75 million Centre for Cancer Drug Discovery that opened in 2020.

The LCH is developing alongside efforts to create another life sciences hub based at the Canary Wharf site in East London on eight acres, which aims to deliver 3.5 million sq ft of laboratory and affiliated space.