Planning officers have recommended approval for the regeneration of the 3.4-acre site known as the Whitechapel Road Life Sciences Cluster, E1.
The London Borough of Tower Hamlets will make a decision at a planning committee meeting next Wednesday (28 August).
The proposals were initially brought forward by the Department of Health and Social Care, supported by NHS Property Services, in December 2021, seeking to transform outdated buildings and empty sites around the Royal London Hospital.
The plans had encompassed five sites containing seven buildings with a mix of refurbished, extended, retained and new-build structures.
The transformation sought to deliver almost 1m sq ft of specialised laboratories and flexible offices, alongside new public realm, cafés and community spaces.
However, the government body submitted a series of amendments to its planning application late last year that reduced the total floor area of the proposed development from 975,000 sq ft to 872,000 sq ft. Public realm and open space was increased from 139,000 sq ft to 144,000 sq ft.
The move followed a consultation which concluded that the proposals were too dense for the site. It recommended reducing the footprint through the exclusion of uses other than pure research and development.
As such, notwithstanding the overall floor area loss, the proportion of wet labs in the proposed scheme has increased. This was achieved through changes made to lab-to-office ratios.
The Department of Health and Social Care bought the site from Barts Health NHS Trust in July 2018. It will be looking to sell the sites on receipt of planning permission. Savills has been appointed to market the opportunity.
Image © Allies and Morrison
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