Plans have been unveiled for a new £400 million public health campus near Harlow, Essex.

The development, which will be built at the vacant GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) site close to the town, will see a new centre of excellence created for research, health improvement and protection.

Public Health England (PHE) has now purchased the site from GSK for £25m. The deal comes a few weeks before PHE expects to submit a planning application to refurbish a number of the current buildings and construct new ones on the Pinnacles Estate site. The plans include new and converted laboratories and a visitor centre.

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Overall, PHE will relocate first staff to the facility by 2021, with the site fully operational by 2024.

Richard Gleave, PHE Deputy Chief Executive said: "Our move to Harlow will create a world-class science campus for public health, of international significance and real benefits for the local community. The decision to buy the site now has been taken after careful consideration of the advantages and represents best value to the British taxpayer. This includes reduced running costs and the ability to carry out a number of further specialist additional surveys which will save us considerable time and money and provide invaluable information for the more detailed design work planned for later in the year.

"We are also responding to the local community's desire to see PHE move to Harlow as soon as possible."

Council Leader Jon Clempner said: "Securing Public Health England's relocation to Harlow is all part of the jigsaw being put in place for Harlow's future with new jobs, new investment and improving local people's skills."

(LM/MH)