The government has announced a record £1 billion investment in a new National Biosecurity Centre (NBC), aimed at strengthening the country’s defences against future pandemics and animal disease outbreaks.
Based in Weybridge, Surrey, the cutting-edge scientific campus will become the UK’s flagship animal biosecurity facility. It is part of the National Security Strategy, launched under the Government’s Plan for Change, which aims to boost national resilience while creating jobs and economic growth.
The NBC will enhance the UK’s capacity to detect, monitor and control high-risk diseases such as avian influenza, foot and mouth disease, and African swine fever. With around 75% of emerging infectious diseases originating in animals, officials say improved biosecurity is vital not only for farming but for public health and national security.
Environment Secretary Steve Reed said the new investment will protect farmers, strengthen food security, and help safeguard the public. “The first role of any Government is national security,” he said. “This is a vital step after years of chronic underfunding.”
The centre will replace outdated facilities at the Animal and Plant Health Agency’s existing Weybridge site. The project will roll out in phases, with interim labs opening in 2027–28 and the full centre operational by 2033/34.
The NBC will join a wider network of national labs under the UK Biological Security Strategy, linking the UK Health Security Agency, Defence Science and Technology Laboratory, and others to better prepare for biological threats and crises.