Liverpool City Council's planning committee has given the go-ahead to a third building at Liverpool Science Park.

The park's Chief Executive Chris Musson told Insider the decision was a "significant milestone" in the development of the site. The new four-storey 42,000 sq ft building, to be known as ic3, aims to offer flexible office space, fully serviced laboratories over three floors, meeting rooms and a ground floor café. It is designed to complement the nearby MerseyBIO incubator facility, which is currently at capacity.

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Musson said the next process will be to secure a public and private funding package which is anticipated to be in place by March 2011.

"The third building is the next piece in the evolving jigsaw of Liverpool Science Park's unique offering," he said. "Receiving detailed planning permission is a key step along the way to realising this third building."

He added that the planned laboratories would be a "tremendous asset" to the city and would help it to become the "first choice for science-based organisations".

Gareth Callen, Lead Architect from Liverpool-based Ryder Architecture, said: "The mass of the building has been carefully designed and articulated to respond to the visual impact from the Metropolitan Cathedral and open parkland to the north whilst providing a strong and appealing frontage along Great Orford Street."

(CD/KMcA)