Sci-Tech Daresbury – one of the North’s most important clusters of innovative technology companies – has been given the green light to build the £24m Violet Phase Two.
Violet Phase Two is a speculative development and has received reserved matters planning approval from Halton Borough Council.
The project is set to deliver a further 80,000 sq ft of prime real estate to the national science and innovation campus and comprises two new three-storey buildings, known as V4 and V5 following on from the successful delivery of Violet Phase One.
Sci-Tech Daresbury is already home to over 150 science and technology companies in sectors including advanced engineering, instrumentation, materials, life sciences, healthcare, digital technologies, and sustainability.
These include the likes of Croda, IBM, and Hitachi, co-located with STFC’s Daresbury Laboratory, part of UK Research and Innovation at the site, which is located just off junction 11 on the M56 and within a 20-minute drive of both Liverpool John Lennon and Manchester International airports.
The joint venture behind Sci-Tech Daresbury is already well on the way to procuring a high-quality contractor and is targeting that the newly consented Violet Phase Two scheme can be on site in Q2 2024.
V4 measures c. 23,000 sq ft and will expand the availability of Sci-Tech Daresbury’s Grade A office accommodation, V5, meanwhile, is a c.60,000 sq ft dedicated CL2-enabled laboratory facility delivering much needed high quality laboratory space to the Liverpool City Region.
Trio of growing tech firms pledge future to Sci-Tech Daresbury
The second phase of Violet is expected to help create or support 300 jobs to add to the 2,000 jobs already on campus and add significant social value in the area through skills opportunities and local spending during the construction and subsequent operational phase.
Violet is central to Sci-Tech Daresbury’s strategy of expanding the range of high-quality facilities to provide a ‘home for life’ for companies and will help joint venture partners Langtree, Halton Borough Council, and the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) deliver on the promise to support job creation and drive inward investment in the region.
John Downes, CEO of Langtree, and chairman of Sci-Tech Daresbury said: “We’re thrilled to have secured approval to proceed with the latest landmark development on our campus. We have already commenced the process to secure a high-quality contractor and are aiming to start construction in Q2 2024.
“Sci-Tech Daresbury is designed to be a ‘home for life’ and we’re committed to creating the right environment needed for world-leading innovative firms to achieve their ambitions.
“Right now, that means building laboratory and office facilities with larger floorplates to accommodate both companies scaling up from within the campus and other science and technology companies who have chosen to join our vibrant community.”
Violet Phase Two follows the £30m supercomputing centre, which is part of the £210m Hartree Centre for Digital Innovation (HNCDI). Being developed by STFC, works started on campus in February 2023.
The success of the campus in recent years has been underpinned by its cluster approach, led by STFC, which sees like-minded businesses in sectors such as life sciences and HealthTech, materials, digital and advanced engineering share knowledge, and resources, resulting in enhanced productivity and innovation.