Plans for a £1bn expansion of the London Cancer Hub in Sutton have been granted planning consent, paving the way for one of the UK’s most significant investments in cancer research, treatment and life sciences infrastructure. Backed by Aviva Capital Partners alongside developer Socius, the scheme will create a major new campus bringing together global pharmaceutical companies, research institutions, clinicians and manufacturers in a single, highly connected environment. Designed by Gensler, the development will deliver a mix of specialist research and innovation space, including wet laboratories, advanced manufacturing facilities and flexible offices aimed at encouraging collaboration across industry, academia and healthcare. Supporting amenities will include a dedicated Learning Lab, cafés, a crèche and landscaped public spaces, alongside 220 affordable homes for key workers. The campus is positioned as nationally significant science infrastructure, aligning closely with government ambitions to accelerate growth in the UK life sciences sector and strengthen the country’s position as a global leader in medical research and innovation. Once complete, the London Cancer Hub is expected to support thousands of highly skilled jobs and act as a catalyst for wider economic growth across south London. Buildings will be arranged around new pedestrian and cycle routes, with a strong focus on placemaking and accessibility. The masterplan prioritises sustainability, with all buildings targeting net-zero carbon in operation and designed to promote healthy, low-energy environments for both researchers and residents. With planning now secured, the project is expected to move into delivery, with contractor procurement anticipated to begin shortly. Construction will mark the next major step in bringing the ambitious vision for the campus to life. The wider professional team includes Arup as structural and building services engineer and Aecom providing project management and cost consultancy services. Once delivered, the expanded London Cancer Hub will play a central role in accelerating breakthroughs in cancer treatment, fostering collaboration across disciplines and reinforcing the UK’s life sciences ecosystem for decades to come. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals

Laing O’Rourke has been appointed as main contractor for a major new £250m cancer centre at the Royal Sussex County Hospital. The project has moved a significant step forward after funding was formally confirmed by the UK Government and the New Hospitals Programme. Once complete, the new facility will serve as a regional Centre of Excellence for cancer care, supporting patients across Brighton & Hove and the wider Sussex area. The scheme builds on the successful completion of the neighbouring The Louisa Martindale Building, also delivered by Laing O’Rourke, reinforcing the contractor’s ongoing role at the hospital campus. Peter Lyons, Managing Director at Laing O’Rourke, said the project would be transformative for both patients and staff. He highlighted the company’s extensive experience in hospital delivery, noting that lessons learned from previous healthcare schemes would be used to improve safety, efficiency and build quality. The contractor plans to draw on digital design, offsite manufacturing and its integrated supply chain to streamline construction while reducing disruption for local residents. These methods are expected to support faster, safer delivery while maintaining a high-quality clinical environment. The new cancer centre is set to play a central role in the future of specialist care in Sussex, offering modern facilities designed to enhance patient experience and create a better working environment for healthcare professionals. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals

A major new integrated healthcare and research campus is planned for Whitechapel,  designed to meet NHS needs, deliver affordable homes for key workers, and unlock new  green spaces for the local community. The 1 million sq. ft scheme sits within the Barts Life  Sciences Cluster and is projected to add £1bn annually to the UK’s Gross Value Added (GVA).  It represents a £0.75bn investment into Whitechapel and is expected to create 1,325 new  jobs – a significant boost at a time of minimal national economic growth.  A planning application has been submitted by a collaborative team led by BGO in partnership with  Barts Health NHS Trust, including PLP Architecture, dMFK, DSDHA and BD Landscape Architects,  with Avison Young, Sweco, AKT II, DP9 and GIA. The proposals introduce a new model for co-locating NHS services, research and local amenity within the life sciences cluster covering Whitechapel.  In due course this development could release extra space for The Royal London, one of the capital’s busiest hospitals. It envisages a new 64,427m2 facility, designed by PLP Architecture. Alongside public-sector services, this building would oSer flexible workspaces – 10% of would be  affordable – for health-tech, diagnostics, AI and robotics companies, fostering collaboration between clinicians, researchers and private-sector innovators.  The ground floor would be publicly accessible, with a large foyer and café leading to a flexible  800m² event space for up to 500 people – designed for exhibitions, community use and as a space  to demonstrate MedTech innovation and research. The ground floor also includes amenity  spaces for NHS staff and a proposed new home for the Royal London Hospital Museum. At roof  level, a terrace for building users and staff from the Royal London Hospital would feature a 100m  running track, sports pitch and panoramic views across London – a space for rest, reflection and  social connection.  Across five new residential buildings and refurbished terrace housing, the development would deliver a mix of private apartments, open-market shared living, affordable family units, and specialist accommodation for key workers. 53% of housing will be affordable social rent homes.  Eligibility for 167 homes prioritised for key workers, will be salary-capped to target those most in  need. A further 61 private homes will also be delivered at a time when new housing supply  remains low.  A generous new public realm strategy, rooted in the historic grain of Whitechapel, will create a  permeable, accessible environment. The upgrade of Philpot Street into a welcoming green garden and the reopening of Walden Street will restore an east–west pedestrian route through the site. A  3,600m², 275m long fully revamped landscaped public realm and new open central courtyard in the heart of the main building will deliver fully publicly accessible gardens and amenity areas,  planted with 200 new trees. These spaces are designed to support hospital workers, local  residents and school pupils, while contributing positively to ecology and biodiversity. Shane DeGaris, group chief executive of Barts Health NHS Trust said: “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. The potential benefits for our staC, patients and their local communities are  enormous. We will continue to work closely with BGO and others in the Barts Life Sciences  Cluster to attract industry and turn our research into life-changing clinical practices and products  for our patients.”  Merrik Baggallay, Managing Director at BGO, commented: “People living in Whitechapel and wider Tower Hamlets experience some of the poorest health  outcomes in London. Life expectancy remains significantly below the London average, and the  borough has high levels of deprivation, long-term health conditions and chronic disease. This  development responds directly to that context, delivering essential NHS infrastructure, enabling  space for care, and establishing an inclusive campus that reflects the social, clinical and cultural  needs of the city. I am incredibly proud of BGO’s involvement in this groundbreaking and  significant masterplan and look forward to working with the Cluster and local stakeholders as we  move through delivery.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals

The UK Government’s reset of the £56bn New Hospital Programme has brought greater stability to one of the country’s largest construction pipelines, but significant delivery challenges remain, particularly around the replacement of hospitals affected by reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete. A recent update indicates the programme is now on a more credible footing, with the final hospitals expected to complete in 2045–46. However, seven hospitals prioritised due to extensive RAAC use are not forecast to open until 2032–33, well beyond the original 2030 replacement deadline. For contractors and consultants, the reset offers longer-term certainty and a clearer forward pipeline. However, the next five years will be critical, with a tightly sequenced construction programme and limited contingency leaving little tolerance for early delays or cost overruns. Key milestones are approaching. The Hospital 2.0 alliance contract, originally expected to be awarded by the end of last year, is now anticipated in early 2026. Work to finalise the standardised Hospital 2.0 designs is due to be completed by April 2026. Market interest in the alliance has been strong, with more than 20 contractors expressing interest and 16 firms shortlisted to take part in competitive dialogue. Wave 1 schemes are currently scheduled to begin construction in 2028–29, including major developments at Milton Keynes Hospital and Leighton Hospital. These projects will be among the first to adopt the Hospital 2.0 standardised design approach. Despite improved programme structure, capacity constraints within public sector client teams remain a concern. Vacancy rates stood at nearly 40% in late 2025, with shortages in digital, commercial and technical expertise identified as a key delivery risk. The reset followed a review which concluded that the original programme was not deliverable as planned. It now comprises 41 hospital schemes delivered across four waves over the next 20 years, alongside five schemes that were completed prior to the reset in early 2025. Total funding for all 46 schemes now stands at £60bn, including £56bn of capital expenditure. This represents a significant increase on earlier assumptions and includes a £12bn contingency to reflect inflation, market pressures, engineering complexity and environmental requirements. Capital investment of £8.9bn has been allocated between 2025–26 and 2029–30, with annual spending rising to around £3bn from 2030–31 onwards. RAAC remains the most immediate risk to the programme. An independent review recommended replacing seven RAAC hospitals by 2030, but that deadline will be missed. By 2025, more than £500m had already been spent on mitigation measures, while NHS trusts continue to incur between £100m and £140m a year in additional maintenance costs as replacement projects are delayed. The reset places strong emphasis on the Hospital 2.0 model, which aims to standardise layouts, improve buildability and create a more predictable market for contractors. Features include single-patient rooms, reduced staff travel distances, digital patient records and enhanced monitoring technology. Across 28 Hospital 2.0 schemes, average overnight bed numbers are expected to increase by around 6%. While the programme now rests on firmer foundations, maintaining delivery discipline will be essential if long-term ambitions are to be realised and further delays avoided. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals

NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde (NHSGGC), in partnership with Glasgow City Health and Social Care Partnership (HSCP), Glasgow City Council, and Glasgow Life, is proud to announce the official opening of the Parkhead Hub, a landmark £67 million health, social care, and community facility in the heart of Glasgow’s East End. The Hub was formally opened today (8th December 2025) by First Minister John Swinney, who unveiled a commemorative plaque and joined local stakeholders, staff, and community representatives to celebrate the occasion. The event also honoured the late John Ferguson, a much-respected community campaigner, by naming the main conference room in his memory. Parkhead Hub brings together a wide range of services previously spread across nine different sites, creating a single, modern building that acts as a central point of care, support, and community activity. The facility co-locates GP practices, community pharmacy, dental services, children’s services, adult and older people’s social care, mental health teams, addictions support, homelessness and justice services, sexual health, and health-improvement teams. Community amenities include a relocated library, café, flexible meeting rooms, training spaces, and areas for third-sector groups. Since opening to the public in January 2025, Parkhead Hub has been widely recognised for its innovation, design quality, and community impact. It is Scotland’s largest primary care facility and the first net-zero-in-operation building for the NHS Board, setting a new benchmark for sustainability and community benefit. The project delivered over £19.5 million in social value locally, including apprenticeships, support for SMEs, and community projects. The Hub has received multiple national honours, including Public Sector Project of the Year (UK) at the RICS Awards 2025, Project of the Year – New Build (UK) at the Design in Mental Health Awards 2025, Glasgow Institute of Architects Awards for Best Healthcare Project, Best Sustainability Project, and Supreme Award, and Building Better Healthcare Awards: Gold Award for Patient’s Choice and Silver Awards for Best External Environment/Landscaping and Best Healthcare Development (£25–£75m). John Swinney, the First Minister of Scotland, said: “Our plan to improve our NHS is working – long waits of over 52 weeks have fallen for five consecutive months, the number of operations performed are at their highest since January 2020 and GP numbers continue to rise. “We know there is more to do to ensure people get the help they need when they need it. That’s we are focused on shifting how care is delivered, moving from acute settings in hospitals to community settings like the Parkhead Hub. “The Hub, supported by £67 million Scottish Government funding, is an excellent example of how we are delivering health and social care services in a more convenient way- with general practice, community pharmacy, mental health services and homelessness support in one place. “This kind of whole family support – bringing together all the services people need under one roof – will be key in ensuring that people get the care and support they need from the NHS in their local community.” Dr Lesley Thomson KC, Chair of NHSGGC, said: “Parkhead Hub marks a step-change in how we deliver health and social care, bringing services together to better support communities and reflecting our Transforming Together vision of care closer to home. “This achievement is the result of incredible collaboration across public, third-sector and community partners. Scotland’s largest primary care facility and our first net-zero building, Parkhead Hub sets a new benchmark for integrated care.” Councillor Chris Cunningham, Glasgow City Council’s Convener for Health, Care and Caring, and Older People, said: “The new Parkhead Hub is, without doubt, an outstanding facility for the north-east of the city. “It’s our ambition that everyone in Glasgow has the opportunity to lead healthier and more fulfilled lives and with the vast range of facilities and services now under one roof, we can help achieve that. “As Scotland’s largest health and social care centre, the Parkhead Hub is a fine example of co-locating services and partnership working. It’s a one-stop shop for residents to access services from a range of organisations including the city council, Glasgow Life, NHS and the health and social care partnership.” Bailie Annette Christie, Chair of Glasgow Life and Convenor for Culture, Sport and International Relations, said: “The opening of the Parkhead Hub has provided the local area with a new and more accessible library, which is proving popular with the whole community. Our Parkhead Library team has been thrilled to welcome so many new and familiar faces into its modern surroundings over the past year. We look forward to welcoming and supporting even more people at Parkhead Library in the years to come.” For more information about the Parkhead Hub and its services, visit: Parkhead Hub | Glasgow City Health and Social Care Partnership Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals

Caddick Construction has been named the preferred bidder by Delamere Health to develop a major new residential addiction treatment clinic on the site of the former Nottinghamshire Fire & Rescue HQ in Bestwood, Nottingham. The £20 million development is described as the largest investment of its kind in the UK for an addiction rehabilitation clinic, with Delamere Health aiming for it to become the “flagship treatment facility in Europe.” Caddick has entered a pre-construction services agreement (PCSA) to deliver the initial package of works, which includes the demolition of the former Fire & Rescue HQ, scheduled to begin before Christmas. The resulting new build clinic, designed by architects Anderson Orr, will comprise 32 residential rooms with supporting treatment spaces. The facility is designed to offer premium amenities to support recovery, including: Ray O’Sullivan, Regional Managing Director of Caddick Construction Midlands, stated that the company is working closely with the client to build a cost and build programme that will deliver on their ambitions, recognising the “high level of care and rehabilitation the clinic will offer.” Martin Preston, Founder and Chief Executive at Delamere Health, noted the site’s development represents a “huge investment and opportunity for the borough” and emphasised the company’s clear vision: “to provide exemplary care in first class facilities.” Neil Parry, CEO & Principal at Anderson Orr, highlighted that the design blends contemporary clinical spaces with a warm, domestic character. The layout, arranged around individually characterised landscaped courtyards, is intended to maximise natural light and create a restorative, calming setting conducive to healing. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals

Caddick Construction has been selected as Delamere Health’s preferred bidder for thedevelopment of a £20m addiction clinic on the site of the former Nottinghamshire Fire & Rescue HQ in Bestwood. Now in a pre-construction services agreement (PCSA), Caddick will deliver a preliminary package of works to make way for the new residential addiction treatment clinic, marking the largest investment of its kind in the UK.Caddick’s initial work on site will include the demolition of Nottingham Fire & Rescue’s former HQ, which is scheduled to begin in early 2026. This will be replaced with a new build clinic comprising 32 residential rooms with supporting treatment spaces. Designed by architects, Anderson Orr, the clinic will offer premium facilities, including awellness suite, fully equipped gym, steam room and sauna, a meditation area and individual and group therapy rooms. Exclusively to the Nottingham site will be other facilities, such as a padel court and a cinema. Once in full contract, the project will add to Caddick’s growing project portfolio in theMidlands, which also includes a range of high rise residential, industrial and commercial developments across the region. Martin Preston, Founder and Chief Executive at Delamere, said: “The site’s development represents a huge investment and opportunity for the borough, and our ambition for what will become the flagship treatment facility in Europe. “At Delamere, we have a clear vision – to provide exemplary care in first class facilities.Identifying the ideal location for our second site has been a rigorous process over several years, and we are excited to work with Caddick to create something the local community can be proud of.” Ray O’Sullivan, Regional Managing Director of Caddick Construction Midlands,commented: “As preferred bidder for Delamere Health’s new development in Bestwood, we are working closely with our client to build a cost and build programme that will deliver on their ambitions for the largest investment in an addiction rehabilitation clinic in the UK. Key to this is understanding the high level of care and rehabilitation the clinic will offer. We look forward to the coming months, and moving towards a full contract early next year.” Neil Parry, CEO & Principal at Anderson Orr said: “We are thrilled to be collaborating on Delamere Health’s new Nottingham development. The design responds to their vision for a safe and welcoming environment that supports recovery, blending contemporary clinical spaces with a warm, domestic character. “Every material and detail has been carefully considered to provide a sense of comfort and homeliness, ensuring the facility feels approachable, nurturing, and conducive to healing. We are delighted to be working with the wider team, and a client who maintains such a passionate and driven vision, setting inspiring new standards for compassionate, person-centred.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals

Leading structural and civil engineering consultancy, Perega, is pleased to announce the successful completion of its design works up to RIBA Stage 4 on the Same Day Emergency Care (SDEC) unit at Queen’s Hospital in Romford. Following the project briefing in October 2024, the firm has since played a pivotal role in creating the technical design package that will enhance modern healthcare provision for Barking, Havering & Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust, continuing Perega’s five-year strong working relationship with the Trust. The SDEC project, a ward refurbishment within the modern Queen’s Hospital, presented opportunities to leverage Perega’s team’s expertise in delivering efficient and innovative technical design solutions. Using the hospital’s comprehensive site records, the team conducted detailed assessments of the roof structure to accommodate the new mechanical plant. Commenting on the project, Sam Coleman, Associate Structural Engineer at Perega, said: “We reviewed the originally specified mechanical plant loadings on the roof and determined that a large steel frame would be necessary to support the plant. Based on our experience with healthcare projects, we knew the plant originally specified was on the high end of loading, and were therefore able to request that the mechanical engineer explore an alternative manufacturer. They were able to find a significantly lighter unit which meant we didn’t need to install a heavy steel frame, considerably reducing material usage and costs and avoiding breaking through the waterproofing.” A notable challenge during the design process involved routing new ductwork from the ground floor to the roof while ensuring zero disruption to an operational ward on the first floor directly above the SDEC. Perega undertook extensive investigations to help realise the design team’s solution that brought the ducting externally up the face of the building through a tight space in the external wall. This minimised disruption to the hospital’s operations, a crucial aspect of working in a live healthcare environment. Furthermore, the ground floor’s suspended slab construction and existing ground gas issues necessitated careful coordination of drainage, which the team expertly validated. Perega’s experience in the healthcare sector, characterised by a deep understanding of not only structural requirements but also the broader implications for other consultants, proved invaluable. It allowed the firm to offer alternative, more efficient solutions during this stage, aiding the successful collaboration with M&E consultants, Redworth Associates, and architects, Arcadis. The completion of the RIBA Stage 4 for the SDEC unit demonstrates the Perega team’s commitment to delivering modern, large-scale healthcare facilities with a focus on efficiency and minimal disruption during implementation. Looking ahead, Perega is also involved in the early stages of the A&E transformation project at Queen’s Hospital, further expanding its contribution to the hospital’s vital infrastructure. To find out more about Perega’s expertise in the healthcare sector, please visit: perega.co.uk/sectors/healthcare. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals