• Swindon & Wiltshire Property
• Monday May 22 2023
• Author Name: Peter Davison

Carter Jonas appointed to gain planning consent for the Natural History Museum’s new collections, digitisation and research centre

Property consultancy Carter Jonas has been instructed by the Natural History Museum to advise on planning matters and prepare a planning application for a new collections, digitisation and research centre at the Thames Valley Science Park, south of Reading.

The Natural History Museum has recently benefitted from an additional £20 million of Government funding for the Unlocked programme, on top of £182 million announced in the Spring Budget 2020.

This will support a Government-wide priority to increase investment in UK science, research and development, and facilitates the Museum’s largest collections move for over 140 years.

The NHM Unlocked Programme will move 28 million specimens to Thames Valley Science Park in partnership with the University of Reading.

These specimens cover every ocean and land mass of the planet, ranging from a microscopic ‘water bear’ that can survive in outer space, to the remains of magnificent whales.

This bespoke cutting-edge collection facility will also house an ambitious science and digitisation centre that will transform Museum’s research capability.

Doug Gurr, director of the Natural History Museum, said: “This new facility allows the Natural History Museum to safely store its irreplaceable collections for generations to come.

“Once built, the centre will help find solutions to the planetary emergency using collections and research to answer the big questions of today including maintaining food security, improving biodiversity and addressing climate change.”

Nicky Brock, partner at Carter Jonas in Oxford commented, “The Natural History Museum cares for more than 80 million specimens, spanning billions of years.

“We are very pleased to be able to assist the Museum, in its plans leading up to its 150th anniversary in 2031, in securing the future of this extremely important collection.”

Carter Jonas’ Planning team will work closely with Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios, and CPC in the preparation of the application. The planning application is due to be submitted in late 2023.

Pictured: Natural History Museum scientists preparing specimens for relocation © The Trustees of The Natural History Museum, London