Planning permission has just been granted for a new campus to be built next to Health Innovation One. The plans include 25,000 sq meters of development and a car park with up to 384 parking spaces.
In a meeting held at Morecambe Town Hall, Lancaster City Council voted unanimously to grant new planning permission, after previous permission expired before the full extent of the work could be completed. The first permission was granted in 2009, then was renewed in 2013 and 2016, until Health Innovation One was finally completed in summer 2020.
The new development will stretch from Health Innovation One, over Sir John Fisher Drive, and will end opposite Bailrigg Student Living Accommodation.
There have, however, been objections about the new campus from Scotforth Parish Council and the Bailrigg Village Residents’ Association. The groups raise concerns regarding over-development, light pollution, and potential flooding risks that the site would bring to the area.
They have requested that the development includes semi-mature trees and hedges being planted and a green roof or walls to blend into the rural landscape. As well as this, the groups have suggested that enhancements should be made to the cycleway junction and that there should be a maximum height and scale limit implemented on any future developments to the university.
Lancaster University told The Lancaster Tab: “Lancaster University has had an outline planning application approved by the City Council, enabling the university to update previously held permission to develop land next to Health Innovation One at the Bailrigg campus, Lancaster.
While there are no immediate development plans, the move secures the potential for future opportunities for the university.
The proposal, which was recommended for approval by officers, is for a development of up to five-blocks to support a range of research and knowledge-based activity, across university-owned land. It aligns with Lancaster City Council’s Local Plan and is in keeping with the University’s net-zero commitment.
Yesterday (15/12/25) the outline planning application was granted, meaning the university has secured the proposed development opportunity for at least the next five years, giving the university time to explore best options.”
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