Scheme to revitalise city’s former industrial heartland
PLANS TO redevelop a vacant industrial building in the heart of Leeds’s historic industrial quarter have been submitted in a move which could create up to 300 healthcare jobs.
CEG has submitted a planning application seeking to revitalise Drapers Yard on Marshall Street in Leeds for Labcorp, a global diagnostics and drug development company at the heart of life-science innovation in the city.
Labcorp currently operates out of two sites in Leeds and plans to consolidate the team into one building for more efficient, collaborative working, as well as having the opportunity to double in size, retaining and creating almost 300 highly-skilled scientific and healthcare jobs in the city.
If approved it could be operational by summer 2022 and would include a 100-bed clinic, pharmacy and Labcorp’s UK office headquarters.
The firm delivers medical research projects and has worked on most of the available Covid-19 vaccines. It is currently involved in more than 400 studies for Covid-19 globally and it said the new facility offers an exciting opportunity to offer enhanced scientific outcomes and clinical trial testing.
“The new Covance by Labcorp facility will be a gold standard clinical pharmacology investigational unit, commensurate with the outstanding global reputation of the UK life sciences sector,” said Oren Cohen, MD, chief medical officer and general manager at Labcorp.
“The new facility will allow us to continue our important work to test next-generation medicines that may improve health and improve lives in an exciting new environment that highlights the growing role of Leeds as a leader in life sciences.”
The move would see Drapers Yard dramatically transformed with a new façade, roof-top amenity space with a green, sedum roof and new landscaping and planting on Marshall Street and Sweet Street.
Antonia Martin-Wright, head of investment at CEG, said: “This is a really exciting opportunity to deliver a UK Centre of Excellence for Labcorp. It will be a sustainable and energy efficient development, designed with occupant wellbeing in mind.”
Coun James Lewis, leader of Leeds City Council, said: “This is a hugely exciting piece of news for Leeds, and one that will strengthen the city’s reputation as a place where cutting-edge tech and a sense of history come together to positive effect.”