The facility, to be constructed in Weybridge, Surrey, will become part of a national network of government laboratories responsible for safeguarding public health and responding to biological threats. The investment is a key component of the UK’s new national security strategy, set to be unveiled this week.
The funding follows warnings from the National Audit Office (NAO), which highlighted that the government was not adequately prepared for a large-scale outbreak of animal disease. Animal-borne diseases pose a growing threat to food security, farming, wildlife, and public health. Officials noted that 60% of all known human infectious diseases are zoonotic, with three-quarters of emerging diseases originating in animals.
The new investment will facilitate the complete redevelopment of the UK's aging animal science facilities at Weybridge, which the NAO recently identified as being at "very high" risk of failure. The upgraded centre aims to improve the detection, surveillance, and containment of high-risk diseases affecting both livestock and people.
Environment Secretary Steve Reed commented: “The first duty of any government is national security. That is why we are making a record investment into the nation’s biosecurity capabilities and, in turn, our national security. Farmers and food producers will now be better protected from diseases, our food security strengthened, and public health better safeguarded against future pandemics.”
Jenny Stewart, Senior Science Director at the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA), which manages the Weybridge labs, described the investment as a "vital milestone." She said the funding would enable scientists to continue their critical disease surveillance and response work using modern, state-of-the-art technologies.
Construction at the Weybridge site is already underway. Interim laboratories are expected to become operational between 2027 and 2028, with the fully functional national biosecurity centre set to open in 2033–2034.
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