£100m underwater research campus floats planners’ boats

Forest of Dean District Council has given Deep Research Labs the go-ahead to deliver a 49-acre underwater research campus in Gloucestershire. Investment in the 80-metre-deep scheme, in a former quarry, is expected to total more than £100m. It will provide a base for Deep to undertake pioneering research that will enhance human access to the ocean. The facility will combine in-water infrastructure, on-water equipment and shore-side facilities, making the facility suitable for designing, manufacturing, assembling, trialling and testing subsea equipment, as well as training the people who will use it. The masterplan has evolved following two years of careful analysis and engagement to create a long-term vision for the site, which provides an attractive and biodiverse campus environment. Portia Banwell, who worked on the masterplan on behalf of Savills, which advised Deep, said: “This is a facility that will support the renaissance of underwater research, aiming to create a permanent human presence under the ocean. “This positive resolution for our masterplan is an important milestone in the project, paving the way for the campus to be delivered and anticipated economic benefits to be unlocked.” Image © DEEP Research Labs