HARWELL Science and Innovation Campus is to refurbish former RAF buildings to attract new businesses in a £7.4m initiative.

The programme is expected to create thousands of new jobs.

During the 1940s the science campus near Didcot was a Second World War RAF base and there are now about 5,000 people working across 200 organisations.

One million sq ft of new buildings are planned over the next five years.

The Government recently announced a £100m investment in the Rosalind Franklin Institute, an innovative centre to develop treatments and technologies to cure diseases.

Santander Corporate & Commercial has supported the campus with funding options and now the £7.4m scheme will refurbish the outdated RAF buildings.

William Cooper, partner in the joint venture at Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, said: “The bank’s continued support has resulted in a number of new facilities for our partner organisations.

“The latest round of funding will result in an attractive new HQ at the campus.”