Land deal agreed for 'game-changing' £1billion cancer research hub in Sutton

Plans for a “game-changing” £1 billion cancer research campus took a leap forward today when a deal was announced to unlock the proposed site in south London.

Sutton council has spent £14 million buying 22,000 sq m of NHS land for the London Cancer Hub, which aims to deliver world-leading research and develop new life-saving drugs.

The 20-year vision involves using part of Sutton Hospital’s largely derelict site in Belmont to enable the neighbouring Royal Marsden Hospital and its academic partner, the Institute of Cancer Research, to expand.

The aim is for the life sciences hub to increase the Marsden’s capacity for clinical trials and to attract biotech, pharmaceutical, medical device and software companies.

This could create 13,000 jobs — 6,000 in the construction phase and 7,000 in research, healthcare and administration. The plans include a new secondary school specialising in science, and a hotel.

It is also hoped that the Croydon Tramlink could be extended to address poor transport links.

Today’s deal, for about a tenth of the proposed site, involves the purchase of land currently owned by Epsom and St Helier NHS Trust. It enables the council and ICR to seek a commercial partner to drive the redevelopment of the site.

Ruth Dombey, leader of Sutton council, said: “The London Cancer Hub can become a global centre for cancer innovation, providing state-of-the-art facilities and delivering real benefits for patients. It will create new green spaces, community facilities and well-paid, highly skilled opportunities for local people.”

The ICR and the Royal Marsden expanded from Chelsea to Sutton in the Fifties. Discoveries at Sutton include early chemotherapies, high-precision radiotherapy techniques and the prostate cancer drug abiraterone.

Professor Paul Workman, chief executive of the ICR, said: “This investment is an important first step towards making the London Cancer Hub a reality.

“Our ambition is to create a truly world-class cancer research hub, and today’s purchase of land provides the space to expand and enhance life-science facilities on the site.”

Rajesh Agrawal, London’s deputy mayor for business, said: “London is at the forefront of scientific innovation and this significant investment marks a major move forward towards the creation of a world-leading cancer hub.”