Work to start on Vanguard House
PUBLIC funding of up to £9m has been approved to speed up the building of business grow-on space at Daresbury Science and Innovation Campus.
The Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA) has confirmed it will fund the construction of Vanguard House.
Although the contractor is yet to be announced, the NWDA said building works will start in January 2010, with the building ready for occupation early in 2011.
The 36,000 sq ft of office and laboratory space will provide a range of flexible units from 1,000 sq ft upwards as well as offering reception and meeting facilities.
One of the existing Campus companies is stem cell extraction and storage company Bioeden. Its managing director Jim Curtis said: “Grow-on space on the campus will become essential for a business like ours and could not be more timely.”
TheBusinessDesk reported in February that the NWDA was planning to take over the extension of Daresbury after development partner St Modwen mothballed the project.
In April, the development agency published a pre-tender qualification document, with an outlined budget of between £7m and £9m.
Steven Broomhead, chief executive of the NWDA, said: “This is a crucial next stage in the development of Daresbury SIC. The investment by the NWDA in the campus has proved to be a great success with over 90 companies now on site and high demand for this next stage of development.
“The partnership with STFC, Halton Borough Council and the Universities of Liverpool, Manchester and Lancaster has proven very attractive to companies.”
The NWDA added that this latest funding takes its total investment in Daresbury SIC to more than £67m.
