Kier restarts pre-construction work on Harlow containment laboratories
H50 facility forms part of £3.52bn UK Health Security Campus programme
28 October 2026
Kier has restarted pre-construction work on a high-containment laboratory building at the UK Health Security Campus in Harlow, following the reactivation of its Pre-Construction Services Agreement with the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA).
The facility, known as H50, will provide laboratories for work with Containment Level 3 and Containment Level 4 pathogens. It forms part of a wider programme to consolidate UKHSA’s specialist scientific facilities and London corporate headquarters on a single campus.
Ministers confirmed the move through the 2025 Spending Review, announcing £3.52bn for the programme. Specialist facilities currently at Porton Down and Colindale will relocate to Harlow, with the campus expected to be complete and in service by 2038.
Early works on the wider programme are expected to begin in 2028, followed by main construction in the fourth quarter of 2029. Kier’s current appointment concerns pre-construction services for H50.
Kier will draw on its construction, engineering and mechanical, electrical and plumbing expertise to support development of the specialist building.
Spencer Baber, managing director of Kier Strategic Projects, said: “We’re proud to continue our work with UKHSA on a programme that will play a vital role in protecting the country from the most serious public health threats.”
He added: “H50 is a highly complex facility and, as a key delivery partner to Government, this is exactly the type of project where Kier’s breadth of experience and expertise comes to the fore - supporting the development of world-class scientific facilities that will help strengthen the UK’s future health security.”
UKHSA said the campus would modernise its estate and support continuity of its scientific and health security services. Bringing teams together is also intended to improve collaboration and strengthen emergency preparedness.
Martin Sellar, director and senior responsible owner for the UK Health Security Campus at UKHSA, said: “This brand-new facility will bring together UKHSA’s world-leading public health science and emergency response capabilities, putting us in a stronger position to protect the public and keep people safe.”
UKHSA will work with a range of specialist partners to deliver the wider campus programme.
