VMIC, a not for profit organisation based at Harwell Campus in Oxfordshire, will provide the country’s first bespoke strategic vaccine development and manufacturing capability. In an unusual move, the district council allowed construction of the facility to begin whilst simultaneously processing the planning application because of the critical nature of the facility and the role it will play in manufacturing vaccines for COVID-19 and beyond.
Under normal circumstances, planning approval and construction for a new development of this scale would take years, with construction beginning only when planning permission had been granted. Due to COVID-19, and VMIC’s national and international significance, Vale of White Horse District Council took a different approach and fast-tracked the application process, meaning that much of the planning work taking place behind the scenes was carried out simultaneously to construction work.
Collaboration was key to securing the fast-tracked planning permission. Council officers significantly increased the number of meetings they would typically hold for this size of project with all the major stakeholders including VMIC, Harwell Campus Management (project managers), Carter Jonas (the planning consultant), Glencar Construction (main construction company) and the agency funding VMIC, UK Research and Innovation. Greater contact with statutory consultees, the local parish council and the ward councillor ensured consultation processes were adhered to and queries were responded to swiftly.
Cllr Emily Smith, Leader of Vale of White Horse District Council, said: “I’m delighted we have been able to grant planning permission for the new Vaccines Manufacturing and Innovation Centre. I’m very proud that we will have a building of such national and international importance in the Vale and I am particularly pleased that as a district council we have played a significant role in ensuring it can be delivered as quickly as possible.”
Dr Matthew Duchars, Chief Executive Officer of the Vaccines Manufacturing and Innovation Centre, said: “We are extremely grateful to all the teams involved in working together to secure planning permission by moving at such a phenomenal speed. This decision by the Council gained us three critical months in our race to build a pandemic capable vaccine manufacturing facility, during which time we were able to go from a grass covered site to completion of the superstructure.”
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Chris Lucas, Chief Operating Officer, VMIC, said: “By fast tracking the planning process and allowing us to start construction of the VMIC facility early, the district council has really enabled us to accelerate the pace of this project. Their support and collaborative approach has contributed significantly towards us meeting our deadline of opening in summer 2021 – a year ahead of schedule.”
Cliff Dare, Chief Operating Officer and Head of Real Estate of Harwell Campus and Development Manager for the VMIC build, said: “Working on the Government’s main effort at the forefront of our Nation’s fight against COVID-19 was always going to be an exceptionally challenging project. Delivering the building almost a year early demanded a united approach. The district council team has enabled construction to move quicker than we ever expected but this would also not have been possible without the positive relationships established between the talented and dedicated people working across every part of this vital project.”
Andy Jones, Medicines Manufacturing Challenge Director at UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), said: “When we provided start-up funding for the Vaccines Manufacturing Innovation Centre we recognised that we needed both innovative approaches to vaccine development and the ability to deliver vaccines at speed and in sufficient volume. The rapid approval of the centre will play a vital role in helping this become a reality so that vaccines innovators, including industry and academia, can more effectively tackle the healthcare challenges of the future.”
Steven Sensecall, Partner, Planning & Development, Carter Jonas, said: "That planning approval was achieved so rapidly, whilst development of the centre had already begun on site, demonstrates the sheer determination and hard work of the unique community of people involved in this ground-breaking project.
“The circumstances under which we have been operating have been truly exceptional. However, working closely with the Vale of the White Horse District Council, the Harwell team, principal stakeholders and contractors, we have all embraced new technologies, strategies and process to accomplish a clear and thorough consultation process and reach a successful outcome. We are extremely proud to have played a role in supporting its delivery.”
Eddie McGillycuddy, Managing Director of Glencar Construction, said: “Glencar is delighted to play a central role in the realisation of this landmark project. From the outstanding approach of the Vale of White Horse and Harwell Campus to the contractors and suppliers on site, it has been a leading example of the Construction industries capabilities”
“Together, we will bring this facility to operational status in record time”
An additional government grant of £93 million was awarded to VMIC in May 2020 with the purpose of expanding the facility’s capabilities and fast tracking the build of the 7,400m2 state-of-the-art facility and bringing forward operational readiness to 2021, a year head of the original scheduled date. Alongside this, VMIC has invested in more technology to increase its manufacturing capacity 20-fold, to be capable of producing 70 million pandemic vaccine doses in 4-6 months.
