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05
Oct 2021
Economy leaders at Harrogate Borough Council have backed plans for an expansion of a controversial animal testing company in the town.
Labcorp Drug Development, which was previously called Covance and is based on Otley Road, has lodged plans to refurbish and expand its site after purchasing six vacant buildings.
The company bought the former Nidec SR Drives offices, known as East Park House, in December 2020 for £2.45 million, according to HM Land Registry documents.
Under plans submitted to the council, the firm would refurbish and extend the former Nidec offices.
A new entrance would be created, and the ground and first floors would be reconfigured. A one-way system to access the car park would also be built to reduce "traffic complications" on nearby Otley Road.
In response to a council consultation, Rebecca Micallef, the authority’s economic and transport officer, said the council’s economic development team was “fully supportive” of the proposal.
She said:
Harrogate Borough Council planning officers will decide whether to accept the plan at a later date.
Last month, Harrogate and Knaresborough MP, Andrew Jones, requested a meeting with George Freeman, science minister, to discuss Labcorp’s proposed UK expansion over the next five years.
Speaking in the House of Commons, Mr Jones told Mr Freeman that the company was "one of the largest employers in my constituency”.
The request was later criticised by animal rights charity PETA, which urged Mr Jones to “wake up to the advent of progressive, non-animal research”.
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