Consent for Liverpool cancer centre

Proton Partners International has received planning permission to build the Rutherford Cancer Centre North West in Liverpool’s Paddington Village, a scheme the business announced at MIPIM in March.

The £35m Knowledge Quarter facility will be the third oncology centre in England for Proton, which is a developer of proton beam therapy centres.

The centre will provide an all-encompassing cancer service for patients, offering proton beam therapy, chemotherapy, traditional radiotherapy and imaging. It is expected that conventional treatments will be available in 2018 and proton beam therapy in 2019.

Joe Anderson, Mayor of Liverpool, said “This planning permission is great news for Proton Partners, Paddington Village and KQ Liverpool and we look forward to seeing the building take shape.

“KQ Liverpool is gaining real momentum now and, as a world-leader in medical and life sciences research, is fast becoming a major catalyst in the city’s economy.”

Mike Moran, chief executive officer of Proton Partners International, said: “This marks the next step in our mission to make the best cancer technology accessible to patients across the UK and I’m proud that our next centre will be in my home town of Liverpool. Knowledge Quarter Liverpool is a really exciting project to be involved with.”

There are currently no operational high-energy proton beam therapy facilities in the UK, although Proton is at various stages with other sites – its Newport site recently opened to receive patient referrals for chemotherapy and radiotherapy, and the proton beam therapy system is currently undergoing installation.

It is expected The Rutherford Cancer Centres will each be able to treat up to 500 patients a year and treatment will be available to medically-insured private patients, self-paying patients and patients referred by the NHS.

Proton is also building a genomics research centre at the Life Sciences Accelerator building in Liverpool which will be the first part of a health campus set to surround the new £335m Royal Liverpool University Hospital.