Plans could pave way for new pharmaceuticals site in Ulverston

PLANNING documents have been submitted which could pave the way for a new plant to produce biopharmaceuticals.

Lakes BioScience Ltd, of Ulverston, has submitted documents to South Lakeland District Council revealing plans for a site on a disused car-park at Pulman Road, Ulverston.

The company has plans to enter the market for contract development and manufacturing of monoclonal antibodies, which are advanced medicines used to treat serious diseases such as cancer, arthritis, and other auto-immune diseases.

There is an increasing need for new facilities to produce these pharmaceuticals.

A Lakes BioScience spokesperson said: “Globally, supply chains are under huge pressure to provide manufacturing capacity for this class of medicines.

“We feel that now is the right time to submit plans so we are in a position to respond to this demand.

“We have started the planning process now so that if there is an urgent requirement to produce medicines, that we can have a site ready to meet that need.”

Ulverston has a long history of expertise in the manufacture of medicines.

It’s an industry which has provided vital jobs and investment into the local Ulverston and South Lakeland community, as well as the wider North-West and UK economy, for decades.

The National Planning Policy Framework aims to create the conditions in which businesses can invest, expand and adapt.

The policy states: “Significant weight should be placed on the need to support economic growth and productivity, taking into account both local business needs and wider opportunities for development.”

SLDC’s Adopted Core Strategy encourages the reuse of previously developed land and its Local Plan supports employment related development in existing employment areas.

Photo: An artist’s impression of what a Lakes BioScience facility at Pulman Road, Ulverston could look like, subject to a future planning application being submitted and approved.

*This press release is issued by 32West Ltd on behalf of Lakes BioScience Ltd. For further information contact Jonathan Lee on 07444 022038, email jonathan@32west.co.uk