Gen Two wins approval for new life science hub in Fowlmere
Following a unanimous consent decision by South Cambridgeshire District Council Gen Two, a London-based family-run real estate developer and investor, has been granted planning permission for the development of a new 125,000 sq ft life sciences hub in Cambridge.
Gen Two is aiming to commence construction at Alchemy in the first half of 2024, with a view to delivering specialist life sciences R&D facilities in 2025. Eight self-contained laboratory suites ranging in size from 10,000 sq ft to 20,000 sq ft will be available, and they can be combined to provide larger headquarter facilities.
Being well located in the Cambridge southern life science and biotech cluster, Alchemy will offer direct access to local transport hubs such as Foxton and Whittlesford station via a shuttle bus “as part of a comprehensive travel plan”.
A cafe-deli, which will source local produce, will also be created at the site, alongside other amenities including a new gym, co-working facilities and conference space – all for shared use with the local community.
Gen Two is also targeting 30 per cent biodiversity net gain at the site through a combination of on-site measures, including planting 100 new trees, ‘thoughtful’ landscaping, and removing hard ground surfaces where possible to create a haven for wildlife.
Ariel Levy, co-founder of Gen Two, said: “In the Cambridge life sciences ecosystem there is unquestionably a need for additional fit-for-purpose and adaptable R&D scale-up space, which we are proud to have secured planning consent for.
“As a team we’ve seen strong support from the local community for our new science and innovation campus. We’ve been through a detailed planning process, engaging early on with key local stakeholders, who have helped shape the project’s design through parish meetings, public consultation and an interactive youth engagement programme run in partnership with Greater Cambridge Shared Planning.”
Daniel Sterling, co-founder of Gen Two, added: “We’ve spent the past few years assembling an experienced team of experts with a vision to build an institutional grade portfolio of life sciences real estate assets in Cambridge, Oxford and Leeds. As we look to grow our portfolio in these places and bring forward our existing pipeline, we are extremely encouraged by the number of meaningful conversations we’re having with best-in-class capital partners.
“We’re focused on delivering world-class laboratories and workspace for our country’s brightest biotech businesses, a number of which we are in discussions with. Alchemy’s planning approval from South Cambridge District Council is a strong endorsement in our product and development approach, and we’re looking forward to delivering the project in the next two years.”
