Global real estate investment manager BGO, supported by Barts Health NHS Trust, has submitted a planning application to Tower Hamlets Borough Council for a £750m healthcare and research campus in Whitechapel.
The proposed one million sqft mixed-use development, located next to The Royal London Hospital, forms part of the wider Barts Life Sciences Cluster.
The development would combine NHS facilities, research laboratories, commercial workspace, affordable housing and new public green space.
The plans have been submitted by BGO as the landowner and development partner, with the support of Barts Health NHS Trust.
At the centre of the proposals is a new 64,427 sqm healthcare and research building, designed by PLP Architects.
The London-based practice PLP has previously worked on healthcare projects including the UCLH Proton Beam Therapy Centre, a specialist cancer treatment facility in London, and the Francis Crick Institute, a biomedical research centre that supports collaboration between healthcare and life sciences organisations.
The building would accommodate NHS services alongside flexible laboratory and innovation space for companies specialising in health technology, diagnostics, artificial intelligence and robotics.
According to the project team, relocating non-clinical functions from The Royal London Hospital into the new building would free up additional space within the hospital, creating capacity for future NHS services.
The building would also include NHS staff amenities, a public café, an 800 sqm event space and a proposed new home for the Royal London Hospital Museum.
The wider masterplan includes more than 500 homes across five new residential buildings and refurbished Victorian terraces.
Around 53% of the homes would be affordable, including 167 salary-capped homes reserved for NHS key workers.
The proposals also include approximately 3,600 sqm of publicly accessible green space, around 200 new trees and reopened pedestrian routes through the site.
A rooftop terrace with a 100m running track and sports facilities has also been proposed for NHS staff and building users.
The planning application marks the first major development proposal to come forward under the Barts Life Sciences Cluster.
The initiative brings together Barts Health NHS Trust, Queen Mary University of London and industry partners to establish a health innovation district around The Royal London Hospital.
"This is an exciting example of how we are working with local partners to bring much-needed investment into Whitechapel and regenerate the area around our flagship teaching hospital, The Royal London,” said Shane DeGaris, Group Chief Executive of Barts Health NHS Trust.
The £750m development is expected to create around 1,325 jobs and contribute an estimated £1bn annually to the UK economy, according to the project partners.
Tower Hamlets Borough Council will now consider the planning application.
Subject to approval, demolition could begin in 2027, with construction expected to be delivered in phases over the following decade.
