🇬🇧 UK Government Commits £1 Billion to National Biosecurity Centre
Date: 25 June 2025
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In a major step towards strengthening animal disease preparedness, the UK government has announced an investment of £1 billion (US$1.4 billion) for the next phase of its National Biosecurity Centre (NBC). The move is part of the country’s wider national security strategy, which aims to protect public health, the economy and rural livelihoods from future outbreaks of infectious diseases.
The NBC will be located in Weybridge, southwest of London, and is designed to become the UK’s leading facility for animal biosecurity. In addition to its scientific role, the centre is expected to create jobs, boost economic activity, and enhance the UK’s capacity to respond to zoonotic diseases — diseases that can be transmitted from animals to humans.
According to official figures, 60% of all infectious diseases affecting humans originate from animals, and 75% of newly emerging diseases have an animal source. This highlights the urgent need for modern biosecurity infrastructure.
Planning permission has already been granted for the new Weybridge campus, and a construction contractor has been appointed. The first interim laboratory facilities will be operational in 2027–2028, with the full site expected to be live by 2033–2034.
The NBC will be developed in collaboration with the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA), the UK Health Security Agency, and the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory. Together, these organisations will form part of an integrated network under the UK’s biosecurity strategy.
Jenny Stewart, Senior Science Director at APHA, confirmed that groundwork is well underway and that the new facility will significantly upgrade the UK’s ability to detect, monitor and control serious diseases such as African swine fever, avian influenza, and foot and mouth disease.
The move is welcomed by the industry and the public sector. Lizzie Wilson, Chief Executive of the National Pig Association (NPA), said:
“Today’s announcement is very welcome news and demonstrates the Government’s long-term commitment to improving this vital part of national infrastructure.”
Her comments follow a recent report by the National Audit Office (NAO), which warned that the UK’s current facilities at Weybridge are outdated and under-resourced. The NAO highlighted that public agencies would likely struggle to manage the spread of a major animal disease and called for urgent investment to modernise biosecurity infrastructure.
As part of the UK’s new independent capability under the Cabinet Office’s Biological Security Strategy, NBC represents a forward-looking investment in One Health — an approach that links human, animal and environmental health.
The centre will play a key role in preventing pandemics, securing food supply chains, and ensuring sustainable growth in farming exports, which already contribute £16 million a year to the national economy.