RB’s £105m Centre for Scientific Excellence in Hull secures planning approval

UK-RB, (formerly Reckitt Benckiser) the global consumer health and hygiene company, has secured planning consent for its new £105m Centre for Scientific Excellence (CfSE) in Hull.

On Wednesday (Nov 4th), Hull City Council’s Planning Committee granted approval for the new R&D facility, which represents the single largest investment in RB’s history.

The development, based on RB’s Dansom Lane site, being given the green light ensures Hull remains one of the company’s most important facilities across its global R&D operations.

Dr Sharon James, RB senior vice president for Global R&D, said: “We are absolutely delighted that planning consent was realised so quickly. I would like to thank Hull City Council for their valuable input and ultimately for giving us the go ahead to create a world-leading facility in Hull.

“Today’s decision is the product of a lot of hard work by some very committed people and marks an important milestone in the development process. With the support of the council, we can now move forwards with selecting and finalising the contractor who will help to create and build the new facility over the next couple of years.”

RB submitted the plans for the CfSE in September 2015. The development, designed to be highly sustainable and energy efficient, will house a new state-of-the art Good Manufacturing Practise (GMP) healthcare development facility to support the creation and testing of cutting-edge consumer health innovations.

As part of RB’s investment in the city of Hull, a wide range of R&D positions will become available retaining not only current jobs, but also to attract global scientific talent to East Yorkshire and provide opportunities for science graduates across the region.