Say NO to Camden Lab
Opposing the proposed medical/bio research lab
What the problem is
Residents across the borough are horrified by such a dangerous, largely secretive establishment being build, and are fiercely opposing the development.
The development has also caused outrage from residents across the London Boroughs as well as nation wide, who object strongly to the cruel and outdated use of animals in medical/scientific experimentation.
Saturday 27 August 2011
The Truth about Gladys Hammond
Sunday 19 June 2011
Government Consultation on EC Directive
Friday 27 May 2011
Report of the Science & Technology Committee
The Science and Technology Committee is appointed by the House of Commons to examine the expenditure, administration and policy of the Government Office for Science and associated public bodies.
Exerts from the report:
10 Conclusions
165. Our predecessor Committee's estimation of the UKCMRI was correct: it is an exciting project which could bring significant benefits to life sciences in the UK and, indeed, to the world but it does carry a number of risks.
167. While we accept that the plans are now highly unlikely to change, we consider it is fair to say that the cost of construction is higher at St Pancras than any viable alternative site.
Tuesday 10 May 2011
Rally Against the Lab 18 May 2011
Saturday 19 February 2011
Saturday 12 February 2011
HOC Science & Technology Committee
HoC Science and Technology Committee
Meeting started on Wednesday 9 February at 9.26am ended at 11.18amUK Centre for Medical Research and Innovation
Witnesses
- Professor Malcolm Grant, President and Provost, University College London, Harpal Kumar, Chief Executive, Cancer Research UK, Professor Sir John Savill, Chief Executive, Medical Research Council, and Sir Mark Walport, Chief Executive, Wellcome Trust
- Natalie Bennett, Chair, Rob Inglis, Press Officer, and Frankie Biney, local resident, St Pancras and Somers Town Planning Action
Thursday 20 January 2011
Call for an Inquiry
Mark Blunden 20 Jan 2011
Campaigners against a maximum security “superlab” in the heart of London are calling for a parliamentary inquiry claiming that there was political interference in the bidding process.
The UK Centre for Medical Research and Innovation, behind the British Library in St Pancras, will be capable of containing flu viruses, malaria, tuberculosis, cancer cells and HIV.
Residents living close to the centre are calling for an inquiry into the £600 million project after Cabinet Office emails, seen by the Standard, revealed that the previous government was keen to “make it happen” before the tendering process had closed.
They also claim Camden council failed to inform residents fully of the severity of the diseases to be tested at the 3.6 acre site and is stonewalling their questions.
Today, it can be revealed that in July 2007, Jeremy Heywood, a Cabinet Office civil servant, emailed officials, including the Department of Health and the Chief Scientific Officer, stating: “The PM (Gordon Brown) is very keen to make sure the government departments are properly co-ordinated on this project – and that if there is a consensus that this is indeed an exciting project, then we do what we can to make it happen.”
The email, released under the Freedom of Information Act, was sent the week before the first bids were due in and six weeks before the shortlist was finalised.
Other documents reveal that among 27 competing proposals for the site were a multi-faith centre and hundreds of affordable homes in a borough with 18,000 people on its housing waiting list. Both of these proposals complied with Camden’s brief for the site, but it is alleged the superlab initially did not.
Resident Robert Henderson, a retired civil servant, 63, said: “Camden went against their own original plan for a mixed-use development.
Camden council strongly denies there was any government influence over the tendering process.
The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, approved the research centre on Friday, saying it would attract "the best scientific minds to the capital".
The consortium behind it includes the Medical Research Council, Cancer Research UK and the Wellcome Trust. There is no suggestion of any wrong-doing over the tendering process.
Wednesday 22 December 2010
Camden Council gives Permission
The committee voted 8 in favour, 4 against & 1 abstained.
Against
Claire-Louise Leyland, Conservative (Belsize)
Paul Braithwaite, Liberal Democrat (Cantelowes)
Sean Birch, Labour (Gospel Oak)
Matt Sanders, Liberal Democrat (Haverstock).
For
Milena Nuti, Labour (Bloomsbury)
Sue Vincent, Labour (Holborn and Covent Garden)
Sarah Hayward, Labour (King’s Cross)
Roger Freeman, Conservative (Swiss Cottage)
Heather Johnson, Labour (Regent’s Park)
Andrew Marshall, Conservative (Swiss Cottage)
Gillian Risso-Gill, Liberal Democrat (West Hampstead)
Jenny Headlam-Wells, Labour (Kentish Town).
Abstained
Flick Rea, Liberal Democrat (Fortune Green)
Those present but failing to register any vote (including failing to abstain)
Thomas Neuwark, Labour (Camden Town with Primrose Hill)
Absent
Georgia Gould, Labour (Kentish Town)
Valerie Leach, Labour (Highgate)
Friday 10 December 2010
Huge Security Plan
Huge security plan to protect virus superlab from terrorists
Mark Blunden10.12.10
Security around a “superlab” planned next door to a major London railway station will be among the tightest in the capital amid fears of “domestic extremism”.
Sensitive documents detailing protection for one of Europe's biggest bio-medical research centres, which will specialise in fighting influenza, show it includes anti-car bomb devices.
Camden council is asking for a passport or driving licence as proof of identification before showing residents planning documents for the £600 million site behind St Pancras station.
The glass, brick and metal UK Centre for Medical Research and Innovation will be secured to “biosafety level three-plus”.
It will be capable of containing flu viruses, malaria and tuberculosis, plus cancer and HIV to become a “global centre of research excellence”.
Campaigners fear the site, which is also close to hundreds of homes, could pose a risk to public health if airborne viruses escape from the building, which the centre denies.
Opponents are also concerned the huge building near the British Library could become a terrorist target and the focal point for protests against Home Office-licensed animal testing.
The “security management plan”, seen by the Evening Standard, identifies crime, terrorism and “domestic extremism” as concerns. It states: “Potential security risks may arise from domestic extremism — potentially the animal rights movement.”
Other measures will include CCTV, “robust” building materials, strengthened glass and “anti-Hostile Vehicle Measures”. The eight-page document states: “This is to create a maximum stand-off in the event of a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device.”
It also details how the perimeter will be secured and monthly meetings will be held between the local police, Met intelligence units, a national domestic extremism team and British Library security.
One official was overheard saying the document had to be treated as if it had been “handed to the council from a foreign embassy” when shown to the public.
Campaigner Natalie Bennett said: “It is an indication that there are serious concerns from the authorities about the danger this building represents. It shows there's clearly a problem with thousands of people living so close by. Residents don't feel very confident about what's going on. There are thousands of people living on the doorstep.”
The lab is the subject of a parliamentary committee inquiry in the new year but is recommended for approval by planning officers on Thursday.
The research centre is a conglomerate of the Medical Research Council, University College London, Cancer Research UK and The Wellcome Trust and will also lead the way in HIV, heart diseases and stroke research.
About one third of the building, which is up to 154 feet high in places, will be underground.
Opponents of the scheme, including the local MP and former Labour health secretary Frank Dobson, are angry that no social housing has been included on the 3.6 acre site.
A UKCMRI spokesman said: “We will carry out research on diseases that affect people across London, the UK and the world including cancers, heart disease and stroke, infections, diseases of the immune and nervous systems and the degenerative diseases linked to ageing. We can absolutely state that there will be no military research at the institute.”
Tuesday 23 November 2010
UKCMRI Newsletter
Saturday 20 November 2010
Parliamentary Inquiry
Committee announces new inquiry into the UK Centre for Medical Research and Innovation
The Science and Technology Committee announces a new inquiry into the UK Centre for Medical Research and Innovation (UKCMRI)
Andrew Miller MP, Chair of the Science and Technology Committee, said
“The previous Committee published a report in January 2008 welcoming and supporting the creation of a leading medical research centre based in the UK, but had concerns about management and costs.
“With the announcement confirming funding for the project in October’s Spending Review it is now very timely to scrutinise the UK Centre for Medical Research and Innovation.”
Background:
In 2007 the former Government gave its backing to plans to create the UK Centre for Medical Research and Innovation (UKCMRI) at St Pancras in London. The plan is for it to be Europe’s leading centre for medical research, maintaining Britain’s position at the forefront of global medical research, strengthening the UK economy and, through links with the NHS, change patients’ lives. The centre will bring together science teams from the Medical Research Council (MRC), Cancer Research UK, The Wellcome Trust, and University College London.
The Coalition Government confirmed funding for the project on 20 October 2010 as part of the Spending Review, announcing that it will invest £220 million over four years. David Willetts MP, the Science Minister, and representatives of the four partners signed a Joint Venture Agreement (JVA) to establish UKCMRI on 9 November 2010.
Terms of reference:
The terms of reference for this inquiry are outlined below, and the Committee invites written submissions on these issues by the close on Wednesday 12 January 2011.
- Review the progress on the UKCMRI since 2008 and assess the plans for the coming years.
- What do the four partners hope to achieve from the project and what new technologies and innovations are being considered?
- Is the financing of the UKCMRI robust and justified, with particular reference to the public support for the project and the knock-on effect on budgets for other research?
- What are the risk assessment arrangements to ensure the safety of the site?
- What are the arrangements for the closure of the existing National Institute for Medical Research at Mill Hill?
The Committee will not be considering the UKCMRI’s planning application made to the London Borough of Camden in September 2010.
Each submission should:
a) be no more than 3,000 words in length;
b) be in Word format with as little use of colour or logos as possible;
c) have numbered paragraphs; and
d) include a declaration of interests.
A copy of the submission should be sent by e-mail to scitechcom@parliament.uk and marked "UKCMRI".
An additional paper copy should be sent to:
The Clerk
Science and Technology Committee
House of Commons
7 Millbank
London SW1P 3JA
Wednesday 10 November 2010
Foregone Conclusion?
Has pressure been put on Camden Council to rubber stamp this big money making project regardless of objections?
Friday 22 October 2010
Funding
CSR NEWS: King’s Cross super-lab UKCMRI gets go-ahead
Katie Davies Wednesday, 20 October, 2010
16:00 PM
A large scientific research centre planned for King’s Cross has been given the go-ahead under the Comprehensive Spending Review.
The UK Centre for Medical Research and Innovation (UKCMRI) planned for a site behind the British Library on Brill Place will go ahead Chancellor George Osborne has promised.
The centre – a £500 million joint initiative of Cancer Research UK, the Medical Research Council, University College London and the Wellcome Trust – has been confirmed to receive a £220million Government grant while other areas get cut.
Scientists from around the world have backed the project which could bring cures for illnesses like cancer and strokes.
Planning permission is currently being sought for the site from Camden Council.
As well as hundreds of backers, hundreds of opponents have rallied against the scheme.
Many residents in Somers Town have called for the land to be made into housing or park area for residents living there.
They are being backed by local Labour councillor Roger Robinson, several Green Party representatives and Conservative Camden and Barnet London Assembly member, Brian Coleman.
Cllr Coleman, who also sits on Barnet Council said in response to George Osborne’s House of Commons address.
“I am extremely disappointed with the Government’s decision to press ahead with construction of the Centre for Medical Research and Innovation,” he said. “It is the wrong project in the wrong place. I shall seek to do what I can to make sure these plans do not come to fruition.”
Friday 1 October 2010
MP Slams Lab
Green MP slams super lab plans for Brill Place
by DAN CARRIER
CAROLINE Lucas, the first Green MP in Britain, has waded into a planning row over a project that could bring some of the world’s leading scientists under one roof in Somers Town.
Camden Council’s planning committee are due to consider a project to build a new research laboratory in Brill Place, opposite St Pancras train station, this autumn.
The application, put together by a consortium of University College London, the Medical Research Council, the Wellcome Trust and Cancer Research UK, will house 1,500 scientists and the body boasts they will be tackling ailments that kill millions each year.
But at a visit to the site on Thursday, Ms Lucas attacked the lands as wholly unsuitable for the site and warned that the big research bodies behind the scheme should not be allowed to bully people living near by.
She told the New Journal: “It is clearly not the right place for it. It will completely shut out the light for neighbouring homes and also block out light in the area’s only bit of green space.”
She said the council had the moral authority to dismiss the plans as its own planning brief had earmarked the site for housing. She added: “The planning brief says it should be 50 per cent housing – and these plans have none. It could be a really good housing project and a permeable site. It could be something beautiful.”
Ms Lucas also questioned what benefits the plans would have for those living in the area. She said: “Somers Town is an area that suffers badly from overcrowding and poor health and needs to address these issues. The UKMRCI could be built anywhere. It is not clear why they should be here. They could even stay in their current site in Mill Hill – they need to offer much better reasons for wanting to move than they have already.”
A spokeswoman for the UKMRCI say bringing teams under one roof is the only way to tackle serious illnesses. They said: “In the last decade, it has become clear that progress in biomedical science requires scientists from different disciplines in biology to work together.”
A new planning pressure group called Somers Town and St Pancras Planning Action are holding a public meeting on Monday at 7pm at the Somers Town Community Centre, Ossulton Street, to respond to the plans.
Monday 27 September 2010
Public Meeting
Monday October 4th, 7-9pm at the Somers Town Community Centre, 150 Ossulton Street, London, NW1 1EE - link to map here. It is being held by St Pancras and Somers Town Planning Action, members of which will put their case against the development.
Thursday 16 September 2010
Protection of Animals EU Directives
Protection of animals used for experimental purposes
ACT
Council Directive 86/609/EEC of 24 November 1986 on the approximation of laws, regulations and administrative provisions of the Member States regarding the protection of animals used for experimental and other scientific purposes [See amending acts].
SUMMARY
Directive 86/609/EEC
Some disparities existed between the national laws in force for the protection of animals used for certain experimental purposes. These disparities had to be harmonised in order to ensure the smooth functioning of the common market.
This Directive applies to the use of animals for the following purposes:
- the development, manufacture and quality, effectiveness and safety testing of drugs, foodstuffs and other substances or products:
- in treating diseases or health problems in man, animals or plants;
- in treating physiological conditions in man, animals or plants;
- the protection of the natural environment in the interests of man or animal.
Each Member State must prohibit the use of endangered species for experimental purposes. The use of such animals may only be permitted in specific cases:
- if the aim of the experiment/research in question is the preservation of the species concerned;
- if this species seems to be the only one suitable for the biomedical purpose.
As far as the care and accommodation of animals is concerned, Member States must ensure that:
- all animals are provided with hygienic living conditions;
- any restriction on the animal's normal behaviour is limited to the absolute minimum;
- the physical conditions in which animals are kept are checked;
- the well-being of the animal is observed by a competent person to prevent any suffering;
- any unnecessary suffering is eliminated as soon as possible.
Each Member State must designate the authorities responsible for verifying that this Directive is implemented.
Where it is planned to subject an animal to an experiment in which it will, or may, experience pain which is likely to be prolonged, that experiment must be specifically declared and justified to, or specifically authorised by, the authority. The authority will take appropriate judicial or administrative action if it is not satisfied that the experiment is of sufficient importance for the essential needs of man or animal.
The authority in each Member State will collect and periodically make publicly available the following statistical information on the use of animals for experimental purposes:
- the number and kinds of animals used in experiments;
- the number of animals, by selected categories, used in experiments;
- the number of animals, by selected categories, used in experiments required by legislation.
Member States are invited to inform the Commission of the measures taken in the area of the protection of animals used for certain experimental purposes and to provide a suitable summary of statistical information.
Experiments must only take place if there is no alternative method that does not entail the use of animals. Animals involved must be those with the lowest degree of neuro-physiological sensitivity. (emphasis added)
Persons who carry out experiments or take part in them must be scientifically competent and have the appropriate education and training.
Breeding, supplier and user establishments must be approved by the competent authorities. Furthermore, these establishments must keep a record of all the details concerning the animals (the number and species of animals sold or supplied, the dates on which they are sold or supplied, the name and address of the recipient, etc.) for a minimum of three years.
User establishments must be designed in such a way as to allow optimum results to be obtained with the minimum degree of suffering for the animals.
Any animal taken to a breeding, supplier or user establishment must be provided with an identification mark in the least painful manner possible.
Animals used must be given a local or general anaesthetic. When an anaesthetic is not possible, analgesics may be given instead.
After an experiment, the animal must be given medical care aimed at its recovery. In the event that the well-being of the animal cannot be guaranteed, it must be killed by a humane method as soon as possible.
At the end of the experiment, the competent authority may decide to release the animal on the condition that this does not present a danger to public health or to the well-being of the animal.
In order to avoid any risk of duplication in experiments, Member States must accept to mutually recognise their scientific results.
The Member States and the Commission should encourage research in order to find other scientific methods that provide the same level of information without entailing the use or suffering of animals. (emphasis added)
Directive 2003/65/EC
The technical annexes to Directive 86/609/EEC which include guidelines for accommodation and care of animals must be updated as the scientific data on which they are based is out of date. To facilitate the revision of the annexes, in place of the codecision procedure hitherto in force, this Directive introduces the regulatory committee procedure, which is far simpler and faster.
REFERENCES
Act | Entry into force - Date of expiry | Deadline for transposition in the Member States | Official Journal |
Directive 86/609/EEC | 28.11.1986 | 4.11.1989 | OJ L 358 of 18.12.1986 |
Amending act(s) | Entry into force | Deadline for transposition in the Member States | Official Journal |
Directive 2003/65/EC | 16.9.2003 | 15.9.2004 | OJ L 230 of 16.9.2003 |
RELATED ACTS
Proposal for a Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council of 5 November 2008 on the protection of animals used for scientific purposes [COM (2008) 543 final – Not published in the Official Journal].
This Proposal adds to Directive 86/609/EEC regarding the protection of animals used for experimental and other scientific purposes by introducing new measures aiming to improve the protection and well-being of animals used for experiments. The Proposal will in particular encourage alternative methods rather than those involving live animals and provides a solid basis for the application of the principle of the Three Rs (Replacement, Reduction and Refinement) in animal experiments. The Proposal repeals Directive 86/609/EEC.
Codecision procedure (COD/2008/0211).
This recommendation updates the guidelines for the accommodation and care of animals used for experimental and other scientific purposes. It aims to take account, in particular, of decisions taken by the parties to the European Convention for the protection of vertebrate animals used for experimental and other scientific purposes, as approved by Council Decision 1999/575/EC.
Statistical reports
In accordance with Articles 13 and 26 of Directive 86/609/EEC, each Member State must provide the Commission with certain statistical information concerning the use of animals for experimental purposes and other scientific purposes.
This report presents the data from 2005, with the exception of France which gathered its data in 2004. It is the first such report to cover the ten Member States which joined the EU on 1 May 2004. The number of animals used in 2005 totalled 12.1 million, with 8.6% of the animals used in the EU coming from the countries which joined in 2004. Malta stated that no experiments on animals had been carried out on its territory. As in previous years, rodents and rabbits were the most commonly used species (78%), followed by fish.
Fourth Commission report on the statistics on the number of animals used for experimental and other scientific purposes in the Member States of the European Union [COM(2005) 7 final – not published in the Official Journal].
This report is based on data from 2002, with the exception of France which gathered its data in 2001. The report highlights that, for the first time, all Member States used standard statistical tables ("EU tables"). Moreover, the data collected now cover all procedures and their aims. The number of animals used in 2002 totalled 10.7 million, of which most were rodents and rabbits, but with a significant increase in the use of fish.
The report is based on the data for 1999. The difference compared with the previous reports is that the data forwarded by the Member States on this occasion cover a broader range of procedures and purposes. This enabled far more accurate and complete tables to be compiled at Union level.
The report notes a downward trend in the use of animals for experimental and other scientific purposes. In 1999, 9.8 million animals were used. As in previous years, rodents and rabbits were used most.
Second Commission report to the Council and to the European Parliament on statistics concerning the number of animals used for experimental purposes and for other scientific purposes in the Member States of the European Union [COM(1999) 191 final – not published in the Official Journal].
First Commission report to the Council and to the European Parliament on statistics concerning the number of animals used for experimental purposes or for other scientific purposes [COM(94) 195 final – not published in the Official Journal].
The first report concerns 1991. The data shown in the summary table for the whole of the European Union relate to 1990, 1991 and 1992. Belgium and Luxembourg did not provide data.
The European Convention for the protection of vertebrate animals used for experimental or other scientific purposes
Council Decision 1999/575/EC of 23 March 1998 on the conclusion of the European Convention for the protection of vertebrate animals used for experimental and other scientific purposes [Official Journal L 222 of 24.8.1999].
The Community supports any actions whose main objective is the well-being of animals used for experimental purposes. For this reason, the Community will intensify its efforts to develop substitute scientific methods in order to meet its objective of reducing the number of animals used for experimental purposes.
Council Decision 2003/584/EC of 22 July 2003 concerning the conclusion of the Protocol of Amendment to the European Convention for the protection of vertebrate animals used for experimental and other scientific purposes [Official Journal L 198, 6.8.2003].
The Protocol sets out a simplified procedure for amending the technical appendices to the Convention to allow it to reflect the latest scientific and technical developments and research results within the fields covered.
Friday 3 September 2010
PLANNING APPLICATION
Notice 3/09/10
After we have checked and registered the application we will upload the plans and information onto the council’s website and consult in the normal way.
UPDATE: the UKCMRI Construction Limited planning application 2010/4721/P has been registered and is available for inspection HERE
Wednesday 23 June 2010
LAB DESIGN SLAMMED
Design of £600m King's Cross lab slammed23 June 2010
New artist's impressions of the UK Centre for Medical Research and Innovation (UKCMRI), planned to be built on land behind the British Library known as Brill Place, off Midland Road, were unveiled last Friday.
The designs had to be redrawn after Camden Council told backers including University College London (UCL) and The Wellcome Trust, both based in Euston Road, that the original plans were not good enough.
The building has been hailed as the most important scientific development in Britain "for a generation" by Sir Paul Nurse - the Nobel-prize winning biologist who is chairing the UKCMRI's scientific planning committee.
But a spokeswoman for protest group Stop Camden Lab said: "It's like a gigantic mausoleum. The plans look like a cross between a shopping mall and a giant bus shelter. It doesn't fit in with the area, nor does the purpose of it."
A Camden Council planning brief for Brill Place says the land should be used for new housing - half of which should be made affordable.
Councillor Roger Robinson, who represents St Pancras and Somers Town ward, slammed the latest plans, saying: "It's too high and takes away all the light away in a built-up area which we don't want. That land should be used for housing and leisure, not for a science lab."
The UKCMRI will house 1,250 of the world's leading scientists carrying out pioneering research in diseases such as cancer.
Fred Pilbrow, from PLP Architecture, which focused on the external design of the building, said: "The architectural strengths in many of the buildings surrounding the site have provided extraordinary inspiration. We have tried to create a design which respects and enhances that legacy - but which opens the science of the institute to the world."
Professor Malcolm Grant, president of UCL, added: "We anticipate that UKCMRI will be a vital catalyst for jobs and regeneration in Camden."
Last month the new coalition Government vowed to support the project, which was awarded £250million in funding from the previous Labour administration.
A planning application is due to be submitted to Camden Council later this summer, with building work starting early next year if it is approved.
Monday 21 June 2010
ARTIST'S IMPRESSION OF BIOLAB
Inside Europe's largest biomedical research institute
Artist's impressions of the planned UK Centre for Medical Research and Innovation (UKCMRI) behind St Pancras station in London http://gu.com/p/2hnk4
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London's 'somewhat unusual' new research centre http://www.nature.com/
Sunday 25 April 2010
PEACEFUL PROTEST
The site is also surrounded on quite a large scale by residential premises.
Various animal rights groups where there with a few stalls such as:
Safer Medicines Campaign (formerly known as Europeans for Medical Progress),
National Anti-Vivisection Society
Animal Aid
Uncaged
And other groups of protesters, some who came from as far afield as Sheffield.
Not sure who was from Camden, but the proposed lab is attracting a lot of attention from all over the country.
A few site employees came out to have a look at what was going on.
Saturday 24 April 2010
Tuesday 13 April 2010
PEACEFUL PROTEST 24 April 2010
Animal rights activists to protest over lab bid
nlnews@archant.co.uk
13 April 2010
"Several hundred" campaigners will hold a protest vigil in Midland Road opposite the rear entrance to St Pancras International next Saturday.
They oppose controversial plans for a massive superlab due to be built on land behind the neighbouring British Library known as Brill Place.
It would house 1,500 leading scientists from across the globe, with bosses from a consortium including the Wellcome Trust and Cancer Research UK confirming that animal testing would be carried out on-site.
Protest co-organiser Andre Menache, a vet, said: "It will be peaceful. We want to make people aware that there's animal suffering involved and we want the support of the community.
"They don't want it built next door to their homes where their children go to school and next door to an international station. This facility will not be welcomed because of the risk of a terrorist attack and the danger of virus escape which could contaminate the ground and the water supply."
Many residents oppose the plans and say the land should be used for homes and community facilities.
The protest will take place on World Day for Animals in Laboratories with thousands of people taking part in events across London.
Mr Menache added: "Animal experimentation isn't just cruel, its bad science. Last year we had over 2,000 people for WDAIL and we're hoping for more this year. We don't expect all of them to come to St Pancras but there will be several hundred."
A planning application for the lab was to be submitted to Camden Council this spring but officers have demanded the designs be redrafted to be more sympathetic to the surrounding area.
Prime Minister Gordon Brown has pledged £250million to the scheme, known as UK Centre for Medical Research and Innovation.
Friday 18 December 2009
UPDATE
Homes row over plans for £523million science lab
nlnews@archant.co.uk
09 December 2009
A public consultation on the designs takes place tomorrow (Thursday) at Cooper's Lane Community Centre, in Purchese Street, Somers Town, from 3pm to 7pm, Friday from 4pm to 7pm and Saturday from 10am to 2pm.
Sunday 14 June 2009
EARLY DAY MOTIONS
Early day motions (EDMs) are formal motions submitted for debate in the House of Commons. However, very few EDMs are actually debated. Instead, they are used for reasons such as publicising the views of individual MPs, drawing attention to specific events or campaigns, and demonstrating the extent of parliamentary support for a particular cause or point of view.
Why bother?
Although there is very little prospect of EDMs being debated, many attract a great deal of public interest and frequently receive media coverage.
Some EDM concerning animal welfare - for full list click HERE
87 EU ANIMAL WELFARE
135 ANIMAL PROTECTION POLICY
137 ANIMAL TESTING OF COSMETICS
258 ANIMAL TESTING AND HOUSEHOLD CLEANING PRODUCTS
Saturday 30 May 2009
EU ELECTIONS 4 June 2009
The European Parliament Elections 4 June 2009 - Please think carefully before you vote and consider giving your tick on the ballot paper to the Party or Independent who has a good record in animal welfare issues.
http://www.vote4animals.org.uk/euroelection2009.htm
Tuesday 10 March 2009
EMPTY JOBS FOR LOCALS CLAIM
Camden News - by PAUL KIELTHY
Published: 5 March 2009
‘Hundreds of jobs’ pledge as work begins on £500m superlab project
Ms Gillot has been given the job of driving the centre from the drawing board onto the 3.6-acre Brill Place site.
Stadium architects HOK were appointed last year but the plans are still in flux, according to Ms Gillot, who said the likeliest design would be around five storeys tall.
The Brill Place site was earmarked by Camden Council for housing and office spaces, and the lab plans.
Ms Gillot said the consortium of the Wellcome Trust, Cander Research UK, UCL, and the Medical Research Council was still in talks with the council but pledged employment and educational gains.
“It should generate jobs,” she added. “First you have got the construction, then there are going to be 1,500 scientists there, and they will require catering and maintenance which will require 300-400 people. And around the area you generate an economy.”
Plans for the future of Brill Place have yet to be received by the council.(my emphasis)
Thursday 26 February 2009
EUROPEAN CONVENTION
The UK Government signed the below Convention in March 1986, and it came into force July 2000.
Despite this the number of animals being experimented on in any given year in the UK is increasing and not decreasing as should be. The UK government has failed to honour this agreement.
http://conventions.coe.int/Treaty/en/Summaries/Html/123.htm
European Convention for the Protection of Vertebrate Animals used for Experimental and other Scientific Purposes
Summary of the treaty
The Convention is designed primarily to reduce both the number of experiments and the number of animals used for such purposes. It encourages Parties not to experiment on animals except where there is no alternative. All research into alternative methods should be encouraged. Animals to be experimented on should be selected on the basis of clearly established quantitative criteria and must be well cared for and spared avoidable suffering whenever possible.
To this end, the Convention lays down a number of principles which are to be considered only as a starting point. The Parties meet regularly to examine the application of the Convention and, if appropriate, to extend or strengthen its provisions.
Thursday 19 February 2009
PETITION
http://www.number10.gov.uk/Page18312
We received a petition asking:
“We the undersigned petition the Prime Minister to stop the building of a virus containment facility and animal testing lab on a Camden Council house estate alongside St Pancras International in Kings Cross London UK. The backers for the lab are the MRC, UCL, CRUK and Wellcome Trust. The lab plans have been criticised by MI5, MPs and local people from the area.”
Details of Petition:
“There are plans to build a virus containment facility and animal testing lab in Camden in defiance of the council’s own planning brief calling for 50% social housing. The lab poses a very real virus leak threat similar to the Pirbright Foot & Mouth disaster. The lab will hold animals including cats and dogs which is opposed by many people. We ask that the land be sold and used to benefit the community in a compulsory purchase order.”
Read the Government’s response
This is a response in advance of the closing date from the Government.
The UK Centre for Medical Research and Innovation (UKCMRI) offers a unique opportunity to build one of Europe’s premier medical research facilities in partnership between the Medical Research Council (MRC), the Wellcome Trust, Cancer Research UK (CRUK) and University College London (UCL).
The UKCMRI medical research centre will advance scientific understanding, allow the development of treatments for diseases, promote greater opportunities for training clinicians of the future, foster greater interaction and knowledge transfer between basic scientists and clinicians, develop close links with outstanding nearby hospitals and engage the public on health issues.
UKCMRI will play a vital role in the regeneration of the local area, creating jobs and boosting the economy. There will be more that 1,200 scientific jobs and over 100 people employed during the construction phase. There is already ongoing dialogue with the local community and a full community consultation will take place this spring and summer.
The Government is aware that concerns have been raised about possible use of viruses in the new facility. Compliance with biosecurity requirements will be a major consideration for the Consortium developing UKCMRI. The Consortium will be working closely with the relevant agencies, including the Health and Safety Executive, and its plans will be developed so that the facilities meet all regulatory requirements.
There are no plans to carry out research involving cats, dogs or primates at UKCMRI.
The partners will seek any necessary advice on measures relating to personnel and physical security.
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There are plans to carry out torture on other animals though! Yuck Yuck disgusting!
SAY NO TO THE INHUMANE(INANIMALE) NEEDLESS TORTURE AND INVASIVE PROCEDURES CARRIED OUT ON ALL ANIMALS. NOT JUST CATS DOGS AND PRIMATES.
Thursday 4 December 2008
SAFETY FEARS
Camden News - by PAUL KEILTHY
Published: 4 December 2008
Now papers disclosed under FoI show that the council’s then safety chief, Lib Dem councillor Ben Rawlings, wrote to senior figures at the Town Hall and Camden police about “community safety concerns I have at this early stage”.
Much correspondence has been exempted from disclosure for security reasons.
Camden police began drawing up draft contingency plans for the site last year.
The council has repeatedly stated that it cannot act on the site until a planning application is submitted, as expected, next year.
The Medical Research Centre, Wellcome Trust, Cancer Research UK and University College London are backing the centre.
Sunday 2 November 2008
3M ANIMALS TORTURED IN THE UK
Peta.org.uk
Your donation today could help eradicate the abuse of animals in laboratories as well as help end the suffering of many more animals around the world. It may be too late for poor Daisy, but it's not yet too late for other animals who will suffer similar fates. Please give generously and help end animals tests!
Thursday 28 August 2008
NEW LAB DESIGN
Skyscraper firm to design new lab
nlnews@archant.co.uk 27 August 2008
AN INTERNATIONAL firm of architects behind a Canary Wharf skyscraper and a new wing at the Natural History Museum have been chosen to design a £500million science lab in King's Cross.
Thursday 10 July 2008
GOVERNMENT RESPONSE
Some campaigners describe animal experiments as 'outmoded science' and argue that there are better ways of making medical and scientific progress using modern, non-animal methods, such as computer modelling and microdosing.
Animal tests cannot predict with absolute certainty what will happen in humans, nor are they expected to. All modern medicines are tested in cell cultures, computers, animals and human volunteers: animal studies are used only as a coarse screen for gross toxicity purposes, and for obvious unacceptable side effects, before candidate drugs are tested in human volunteers.
The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is the Government agency which is responsible for ensuring that medicines and medical devices work. The Home Office has oversight of only one of the component parts of the pre-clinical testing programme: the use of animals. The MHRA will only grant a marketing authorisation (MA) if it is satisfied that a product is efficacious, safe and of appropriate quality. The decision to grant an MA is taken based on an overall risk/benefit analysis, recognising that all drugs have some risk attached.
The Government strongly supports the development and use of non-animal alternatives where possible. The National Centre for Replacement, Refinement and Reduction of Animals in Research (NC3Rs) was announced in May 2004 and acts as a focal point for research into the 3Rs.
The NC3Rs is an independent scientific organisation which provides a UK focus for the advancement of the 3Rs. Working with stakeholders in academia, industry, Government, research funders, regulatory authorities, and animal welfare organisations, the Centre aims to increase the development and implementation of the 3Rs in medical, biological and veterinary research and testing. The Centre is funded by Government and the Research Councils and also receives some funding from the Wellcome Trust and Industry.
We would all like to see a time when medical progress and improvements in healthcare are not dependent on the use of animals. But that time is not yet here. The fact remains that animals will be needed for research for the foreseeable future if we are to continue to develop life-saving medicines."
Wednesday 4 June 2008
CAMDEN COUNCIL STATEMENT
Camden Council statement on the sale of the land at the rear of the British Library
Date: 05/12/07
Cllr Keith Moffitt, Leader of Camden Council said:
“Camden Council will now be carefully assessing the proposed development including the medical research centre against our planning brief.
“Right from the start we have made it very clear to central Government that any proposed development must have the right mix of housing, employment and community facilities for King’s Cross and for Camden as a whole.
“Housing in Camden, especially affordable housing is in short supply and with our residential population expected to grow by 10% by 2016 it has to be a priority. The Council’s planning brief has laid down clear requirements for 50% or more of the new land use to be housing, and 50% or more of that to be affordable housing. We will be very disappointed if the proposed plan ignores this brief.
Contact: 020 7974 5717
pressoffice@camden.gov.uk