Clearbell rings in planning for Bloomsbury wet lab

Clearbell has been given the green light for its life sciences development in Bloomsbury. The Clearbell Property Partners III fund bought the 28,000 sq ft office building at 85 Gray’s Inn Road, WC1, for £18.5m last March. But because of the site’s location in the heart of the capital’s Knowledge Quarter, Clearbell was keen has to reposition the asset as a blend of office and wet lab space. The plans include creating an additional 3,200 sq ft of floor space through rooftop changes and infilling the courtyard. The works are due to be completed by February 2023. Dominic Moore, head of asset management and ESG director at Clearbell Capital, said: “Our plans to create additional floorspace to accommodate more wet lab space come at a time when the UK life sciences sector is booming. “There is a chronic lack of supply of labs in key cities, including London. If the UK is to retain its strong life sciences industry, which has coalesced in key regions such as London’s Knowledge Quarter, development needs to be rapidly ramped up.” Clearbell was advised by Savills as planning consultants. To send feedback, e-mail piers.wehner@eg.co.uk or tweet @PiersWehner or @EGPropertyNews