APPENDIX 5
Memorandum from Jacky Smith, Head Technician
in Developmental Biology and Molecular Neurobiology, National
Institute for Medical Research
I first came to the National Institute for Medical
Research in September 1967 as a very raw school leaver. Apart
from a couple of sojourns to other MRC units, I have been here
since. I was shocked and saddened to hear the plan to relocate
NIMR to central London as I feel that the site here at Mill Hill
is very well suited for our scientific needs and it would be hard
to better the facilities elsewhere.
I have seen many changes over the last 37 years,
most of which have been for the better and I do feel that the
building has evolved well to keep up with the necessary changes
in science. Of course, we have a wonderful site here in Mill Hill
and it would be not so pleasant to have to travel into London,
but the major problem which I have is that it seems the new location
would be change for change's sake. Any new building (whether it
was in London or Aberdeen) would take a long time to begin to
work properly and a move would destroy the very cohesive community
which we have here. My own experiences as a Head Technician here
have shown that my work and the smooth running of our departments
would not proceed so well without this "community spirit".
The other major worry is that, as yet, we have
no real idea of the size of the new NIMR and so, Professor Blakemore's
"exciting vision of the future" is for me an unknown
quantity. Our animal facility, here in Mill Hill, is superb and
as this would be hard to construct elsewhere, work would be drastically
slowed down until the new facility was "up and running".
In summary, I feel that an upgrading of our
present site would be infinitely preferable to a new venue elsewhere.
If, however, NIMR could be moved in its entirety to a new building,
which would greatly improve the already excellent science which
goes on here, then it would be hard to argue against such a move.
Evidence, so far, does not, in my opinion, support this.
28 October 2004
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