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Claims on ‘superlab’
• UNIVERSITY College London provost Malcolm Grant’s case in the interview (Superlab plan could include new housing, May 1) rests on three claims.
First, that the location of the superlab will create “more concentrated [medical] expertise than any in Europe”.
Secondly, that the public gain from the new centre outweighs the social objectives of Camden’s planning brief.
Thirdly, two related assurances that (a) local neighbourhoods have a legitimate interest in the scheme, and (b) that to pull out UCL would be reneging on their social responsibilities to them.
The first of these is simply puzzling. The success or failure of the new facility will depend on the quality of the research carried out. It does not depend on a single unique location. The second, the acceptance of local needs, while welcome, is qualified. Professor Grant expects to “bargain hard [and] come to a mutually acceptable agreement” with Camden. But only after he has got what he wanted. He produces no evidence that the needs of medical research in this particular instance trump other uses of the site. It’s simply assumed.
Thirdly, Professor Grant tells us that, “world-class universities like us go wrong when they turn their backs on the community with which they are based”.
To what extent has UCL under his leadership engaged with local needs and local people?
Many feel that the engagement has been minimal and, thus far, overwhelmingly in UCL’s favour. Who authorised Professor Grant to speak on our behalf?
John Mason
On behalf of the Somers Town People’s Forum
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