John Laing to fund Cambridge Forum development

John Laing has entered into a UK joint venture with Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (CUH) to fund the development of the Forum, a post-graduate education centre, at the Cambridge Biomedical Campus (CBC).

The Forum, which will be designed by London-based architects NBBJ, will also include a private hospital, 198-room hotel and a 550-seat conference centre.

The aim of the mixed-use development is to provide a social hub for CBC users, as well as grow Cambridge’s reputation as a venue for biomedical conferences, training and specialist healthcare, and create income for NHS services at CUH.

John Laing will fund the £120 million (€140 million) infrastructure project. CUH will receive an annual income and a share of the profits over the life of the project.

Ramsay Health Care UK, a provider of independent hospital services in England, will run the private hospital, while the postgraduate medical education centre will be managed by CUH.

Construction will be carried out by Laing O’Rourke and is expected to start in spring 2014 and continue until summer 2016.

Peter Ward, director of healthcare projects at John Laing, said: “John Laing is keen to invest sustainably in good quality public infrastructure, and the Forum is a great example because it will provide a social hub for the biomedical campus, give Cambridge a centre for postgraduate medical education that reflects the standards of its teaching, and generate substantial income for NHS care."