A south Warwickshire 'mega' laboratory temporarily set up to help tackle the Covid-19 pandemic could be put to use for much longer if the district council backs plans for its planning permission to be extended.

The United Kingdom Health Security Agency has applied to keep using the Rosalind Franklin Laboratory beyond February 2023 - the date it was originally given approval until.

The Leamington Spa lab, which has processed over 7.3million Covid-19 tests to date, opened in July 2021, six months after it was initially supposed to.

And if the new scheme is approved as well as continuing to use the diagnostic facility UKHSA will completely remodel the Old Ford Foundry car park off Princes Drive.

A planning application submitted to Warwick District Council said: "The RFL is a new very high-throughput diagnostic facility that is currently playing a key role in the fight against Covid-19 as part of UKHSA's response and is part of the largest network of diagnostic testing labs ever created in British history. 

"It is helping tackle both current and future infectious disease threats and improve resilience in response to future pandemics, with its priorities continuing to evolve in the longer term between Covid-19 and other health security priorities. 

"The cutting-edge technology, which has ultra-high capacity and allows tests to be processed more quickly and at a lower cost, establishing a flexible pandemic response infrastructure that can respond to surges in demand. 

"It will also increase the country's world-leading genomic capabilities to rapidly track and stay ahead of emerging threats."

advertisement

If approved the scheme will see the car park reduced to 508 parking spaces and a bus shelter for a shuttle bus built.

CCTV and a new substation would be installed and there would be a number of external works to the building including a new canopy.

The application said the Harrison Way lab has become "a significant new employer".

It added: "It is helping tackle both current and future infectious disease threats and improve resilience in response to future pandemics, with its priorities continuing to evolve in the longer term between Covid-19 and other health security priorities. 

"The cutting-edge technology has ultra-high capacity and allows tests to be processed more quickly and at a lower cost, establishing a flexible pandemic response infrastructure that can respond to surges in demand. 

"It will also increase the country's world-leading genomic capabilities to rapidly track and stay ahead of emerging threats."

However, the lab has come under fire from local MP Matt Western who welcomed an investigation published by the Independent which claimed that millions of pounds of taxpayers' money had been wasted on the facility.

It claimed the lab has never reached more than 20 per cent of its operating capacity.

advertisement

See the plans in full here.