Up to 180,000 sq ft of new office and laboratory space is to be created at Sci-Tech Daresbury, the Liverpool city region science and innovation campus. Tony McDonough reports

Sci-Tech Daresbury has unveiled plans to create 180,000 sq ft of new office and laboratory space at its Liverpool city region science and innovation campus.

Project Ultraviolet could comprise up to five buildings of grade A office and lab space. It will be located next to Project Violet, a £17.8m three-building office development currently under construction and due for completion at the end of 2021.

An outline planning application has been submitted to Halton Council. Campus operator Langtree is keen to capitalise on growing demand for space at the facility which is already home to almost 150 businesses. In 2020 alone it secured 28 new tenants.

Discussions are already under way with a number of prospective tenants for the 42,000 sq ft Project Violet. John Downes, chief executive of Langtree and chairman of Sci-Tech Daresbury, said: “The strong demand in the market has given us the confidence to proceed with the first steps of the next phase of development.

“For us, that demand is driven not just by new arrivals to the site – whether that’s a dynamic SME or global firms looking for a UK base – but also by our ‘home for life’ ethos that sees existing tenants scaling up and requiring larger premises in order to meet their growth ambitions.

“It’s been tremendous to see how our collaborative and dynamic business community has adapted and flourished over the past year, many of them developing products and services that have proven vitally important during the COVID-19 pandemic not only in the UK but also globally.

“Our ambitious plans for Project Ultraviolet reflect our confidence that such companies will become even more important in the years ahead and will play a key role in driving forward the UK’s economic recovery through job creation and attracting international investment.

Established in 2006, Sci-Tech Daresbury specialises in accommodation for digital and science-focused businesses. It is owned by a private-public joint-venture partnership comprising Langtree, the Science and Technology Facilities Council, and Halton Council.

The campus was granted Enterprise Zone status in April 2012. This allows business rates to be reinvested in the campus, potentially creating up to 15,000 skilled jobs and providing funding for new specialist office, laboratory and technical space.