Plans approved for UK Centre for Medical Research and Innovation

UKCMRI is founded by the Medical Research Council, Cancer Research UK, the Wellcome Trust and UCL (University College London).

The members of the Development Control Committee voted in favour of the £500 million project at a meeting at the Town Hall on 16 December.

Chief Executive of Cancer Research UK, Harpal Kumar, welcomed the decision: "The councillors have brought this institute significantly closer to reality. It will help to tackle some of the most difficult scientific and medical questions - bringing benefits to health and helping us to treat and beat diseases that affect us all, including cancers, heart disease and stroke, infections and diseases of the immune and nervous systems. It will bring benefits to health and be a national resource for the training and development of scientists. It will engage the public in its work and will provide educational benefits to schools locally and nationally."

Sir David Cooksey, Chairman of UKCMRI, added: "UKCMRI will harness the talent and potential of doctors, nurses, biologists, mathematicians, physicists, chemists, computer scientists and engineers to understand the underlying causes of disease. This will accelerate our ability to treat disease - bringing benefits to patients through the NHS and to the economy by developing a sector in which the UK already excels."

In October, the Government gave its commitment to UKCMRI by confirming its investment in the project through the Medical Research Council. Prime Minister David Cameron announced that UKCMRI would have a central role in the Government's National Infrastructure Plan to ensure the UK remains a world leader in science and research. Over half the funds are being contributed by Cancer Research UK, the Wellcome Trust and UCL.

The construction of UKCMRI is expected to begin in the spring with completion in 2015.