Developer GCR CamProp has been given the nod to redevelop an industrial hub adjacent to Shepreth railway station in Cambridgeshire into a life sciences campus.
The one-acre site consists of four buildings, which were most recently occupied by Grant Instruments.
CamProp is planning to knock down one of the buildings on the site to allow the development of shell-and-core laboratory space through the refurbishment of the remaining buildings, two of which will be merged into one.
The proposed scheme, designed by Cambridge-based architectural firm MCW, is set to deliver workspaces for research, office and ancillary activity across two buildings, RB1 and RB2, providing a range of sizes and tenancy options.
RB1 is expected to be a multi-tenancy building, spanning 20,322 sq ft, with one tenant per floor, with each floor having a split of 60% lab space and 40% offices. RB2, measuring 8,095 sq ft, will be dedicated to a single tenant, with labs on the ground floor and offices on the first floor.
The buildings were designed to achieve BREEAM Excellent certification through improving efficiencies and implementing low-carbon technologies.
The developer will be starting on site immediately and expects the buildings to be ready for occupation in Q1 2025.
The move comes as the firm seeks to maximise the speed of delivery of research and development space to the market to help tackle the supply and demand imbalance.
Located 12 minutes door-to-door from Cambridge Biomedical Campus, which is home to AstraZeneca, GSK and Abcam, the proposed scheme is expected to further complement the established life sciences cluster.
Carter Jonas advised CamProp on planning. Bidwells is providing development management and agency services.
View other planning applications in Cambridgeshire >>
Image © MCW
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