Overview

• The UK Health Security Agency will relocate hundreds of scientific and support positions from its Porton Down and Colindale sites to the new National Biosecurity Centre in Essex
• The centre is designed to unite research and testing on dangerous pathogens under one roof to accelerate vaccine development and strengthen pandemic preparedness
• Construction will proceed under the government’s Plan for Change, targeting the debut of initial laboratories by the mid-2030s and full site operation by 2038
• A 2024 Commons Public Accounts Committee report found project costs have surged by more than 500%, lifting the estimate to about £3.2 billion and extending the timeline by over fifteen years
• Local MPs, including Salisbury’s John Glen, have decried the move as a blow to regional expertise and economy even as officials argue the hub will spur life-sciences growth