Lancaster University has submitted a planning application to City Council for a major new Healthcare Centre of Excellence.
This new centre would focus on the development would respond to a pressing need to tackle issues linked to preventing illness in populations and enabling healthy aging, issues widely considered to be some of the biggest social and economic challenges of our time.
Prof Neil Johnson, Dean of Lancaster University’s Faculty of Health and Medicine, told the Guardian: “This development is going to provide a fantastic opportunity for Lancashire and Cumbria and the North West.
“It will make major contributions to improving health and healthcare through innovation, making a real difference not only locally but nationally and internationally too.
“Furthermore, by attracting individuals and businesses with great ideas to come to this area and work with local communities and organisations interested in improving health along with world-leading researchers and teachers from all parts of the university, it will also have a big impact on the continuing economic development of this area.”
An independent assessment suggests the project would have a significant economic impact, ultimately creating up to 2,000 jobs and representing a £100m boost to the regional economy.
The application is expected to be considered in early 2017, with construction to begin later that year and opening in 2019.
