The planning application to create a new £70m cancer facility, submitted by our Planning, Development & Regeneration team on behalf of The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, has been approved by Sutton Council’s Planning Committee.

Known as the Oak Cancer Centre, the new 134,000 sq ft building will form part of the wider London Cancer Hub Opportunity Area. The Centre will provide new outpatient facilities, medical day-care, dry laboratories and collaboration space for clinical researchers, which will allow quicker diagnosis and higher rates of successful cancer treatment.

The Royal Marsden is a world-renowned centre of excellence, known for pioneering cancer treatments and specialising in diagnosis and education. Its breakthroughs in cancer research benefit not just local residents, but people throughout the UK and the rest of the world.

Some of the hospital’s current buildings and infrastructure, spread across Chelsea and Sutton, date back to the 1960s. The creation of the Oak Cancer Centre will replace some of these facilities with modern, carefully designed spaces.

The facility is being funded by The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity. It is named in recognition of Oak Foundation, which has donated £25m, the charity’s largest ever donation.

Following unprecedented public support, Sutton Council granted planning permission and building work is set to commence in summer 2020. The centre will open in 2022.

Chief Executive of The Royal Marsden, Cally Palmer CBE, said:

“We are delighted Sutton Council has approved our plans for the Oak Cancer Centre. This state of the art facility, with a focus on early diagnosis and accelerating developments in research, will allow us to be there for everyone who needs us for decades to come.

“We have worked closely with the London Borough of Sutton, the local community and clinical professionals to design these proposals, and are excited that the centre will be at the heart of the developing London Cancer Hub- the London Borough of Sutton’s master plan to create a leading life science and healthcare district specialising in cancer research and treatment. I’m extremely grateful to everyone who is supporting the Oak Cancer Centre, in particular Oak Foundation and all our other generous donors.”

Mary-Jane O'Neill, Head of Planning – London & South East at LSH, said:

“This is an excellent outcome for The Royal Marsden Hospital and cancer patients the world-over. The new cancer facility will impact generations to come, allowing more people to benefit from breakthrough treatments than ever before. We worked closely with The Royal Marsden’s project team and officers at Sutton Council throughout the process to achieve this successful result.”