If you require our materials in another language please contact us using the email and phone number provided. You can also find a copy of our newsletter translated on the Contact page.

আপনার যদি অন্য ভাষায় আমাদের উপকরণের প্রয়োজন হয় তবে দয়া করে প্রদত্ত ইমেল এবং ফোন নম্বর ব্যবহার করে আমাদের সাথে যোগাযোগ করুন।

Whitechapel Road

A new home for life sciences in London

Welcome to our consultation website for the Whitechapel Road Development. Our vision is to transform a series of out-dated buildings and empty sites around the Royal London Hospital, with a new masterplan that provides life sciences office space, as well as exciting new public amenities including cafés and community spaces. The development has the potential to generate thousands of jobs and our plans include improving the streets and public spaces in the local area.

Our plans will help to deliver a long-held vision for life sciences in Whitechapel which is shared with Barts Health NHS Trust, Queen Mary University London, the Greater London Authority and the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. Together we want to see the area develop into a life science cluster, with a mixture of small, medium and large commercial life science and knowledge-related companies, all co-locating with the existing institutions.

On this website you can view our proposals and also learn more about the growing life sciences sector in the UK and in London and how we believe Whitechapel fits into that story.

In May this year we held our first phase of public consultation. Thank you for your feedback which we have been carefully considering – click here to find out how we have responded to your comments.

We are now able to share more detailed designs for the public spaces and proposed buildings, which have been developed in response to what we have been hearing from the community. We want to hear your feedback on our updated proposals. Visit the Contact page to let us know what you think.

Following this second phase of consultation, we will update you again on our evolving designs in early autumn and are aiming to submit a planning application to the London Borough of Tower Hamlets later in the year.

Talk to us

We want to hear what you think about our proposals and what aspects are important to you.

As part of our second phase of consultation, we held webinars and virtual meetings with members of the public in July. We plan to hold more consultation events, including further webinars and face-to-face consultation events, in September.

To be informed once details of these sessions are announced, please complete the form on the contact page, or get in touch using the contact details at the bottom of this page.

About us

In July 2018 the Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC) purchased five plots of land in Whitechapel from Barts Health NHS Trust to support the development of a life science cluster, building on the shared vision of our local partners at the Royal London Hospital and Queen Mary University London (QMUL).

NHS Property Services Ltd, (NHS PS) is a DHSC-owned company, which exists to support the NHS to get the most from the estate. NHS PS has been instructed to secure planning permission for a flexible development which can be used for a broad range of life science and knowledge-based activity.

To achieve the life sciences vision for the area, secure best value for the land and generate much needed revenue to reinvest back into the NHS, we intend to sell the sites with planning permission for life science buildings to a developer with the required experience to deliver the plans.

This pioneering project will unlock surplus NHS land and unleash investment in innovative life sciences. It will benefit researchers, entrepreneurs and help NHS patients access new diagnostics and treatments more quickly.

Indicative programme

Winter 2020/2021

Pre-application meetings with London Borough of Tower Hamlets.

Spring/Summer 2021

Planning consultation with stakeholders and the public on emerging masterplan.

Autumn 2021

Submit a planning application to London Borough of Tower Hamlets.

Summer 2022

Planning decision anticipated.

Winter 2022

Agree terms and exchange site to a developer (subject to planning permission).

2024-2027

Expected delivery of buildings on site (subject to exchange of site to a developer).

Benefits

Our development proposals will bring a number of benefits to the area including:

Local economic and social value

  • Breathing new life into a series of out-dated buildings and empty sites in the heart of Whitechapel.
  • Could support between 3,470 – 5,660 full time jobs and further training opportunities for local people, that range across the life science sector and beyond
  • A further 180 jobs will be created during construction.
  • Additional workers could spend between £7-12 million per year in the local area, helping the local economy.
  • Occupiers on site will contribute £9m a year in business rates, which will help fund services in the local area.

Improving public spaces and urban routes

  • Investment and improvement in the surrounding streets and public spaces and providing green spaces to rest and dwell.
  • Reducing and deterring crime and antisocial behaviour with active ground floor providing natural surveillance and improvements to street lighting.
  • Highly accessible location, promoting sustainable transport use.
  • Improving the setting of the Conservation area and the surrounding listed buildings.

Excellence in life sciences

  • A world-leading life sciences cluster
  • Attracting, inspiring and retaining the most talented clinicians, researchers and educators.
  • Speeding up the development of new research and treatment
  • More inclusive research that reduces health inequalities.