£400m South Cambridge science park approved

Joint developers Bridgemere Land and Foundation Capital Ventures have secured outline planning for a £400m landmark science and innovation park in South Cambridge.The Cambridge Discovery Campus, designed by BCR Infinity Architects, will provide over 340,000 sq ft of science and innovation space over six detached, laboratory-enabled buildings.It will be built on the site of a former sewage works in Huxton and involves a total investment of around £170m.The outline approval allows demolition of the redundant waste water treatment facility including silos, tanks and other plant as well as a redundant recreation building containing squash courts.Bidwells’ Project Manegement team has been appointed on the scheme ahead of the first phase of development, delivering several laboratory-enabled buildings alongside the amenity facilities.The re-development of the site is also set to include a bespoke amenity and sports pavilion overlooking sports fields which will be shared with the local community, as well as a 30-acre country park.Will Heath, CEO at Bridgemere, said: “The importance of Cambridge as a leading life science location both nationally and internationally cannot be underestimated.“Confidence in the sector and Cambridge’s ability to become a life sciences superpower was further enhanced recently with the announcement that £200m is to be invested in the expansion of AstraZeneca’s facility at the Cambridge Biomedical Campus – within Europe’s largest life science cluster – which will house approximately 1,000 employees.“We are delighted to be able to make our own contribution to the future success of the life sciences sector in Cambridge via the provision of much needed, state-of-the-art R&D buildings within a campus that not only supports the health innovations of tomorrow, but which also contributes positively to the local community and surrounding area with additional amenity and green space for everyone to enjoy.”