ALMOST two-and-a-half years since a public inquiry into the Waveney Campus project first began, leading figureheads said this week that the �52.7m development remains on schedule.

ALMOST two-and-a-half years since a public inquiry into the Waveney Campus project first began, leading figureheads said this week that the �52.7m development remains on schedule.

The Journal revealed earlier this year how any threat to the flagship project had been dismissed - despite fears that had been heightened by Waveney District Council's financial uncertainty and the national economic downturn.

And this week, project partners reiterated that the landmark office and scientific complex for Lowestoft on the banks of Lake Lothing, is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2011.

With the latest quarterly progress report, complied by Waveney District Council for the Campus project, revealing that 'final recommendations' will be made next month as to who the contractors will be, the landmark administrative and state-of-the-art scientific complex - proposed for Riverside Road - is gathering pace.

It would house 1,000 staff from the Centre for the Environment Fisheries Aquaculture Sciences (Cefas), Waveney District Council and Suffolk County Council.

Planning consent was granted on the project earlier this year, and discussions between the project partners are 'ongoing' regarding financing the project.

A spokesman for the campus project said: 'The agency is working closely with Defra to produce a final business case for HM Treasury. This is part of a process that Cefas must follow to gain final approval for a project of this scale. The preparation of the final business case is ongoing. It continues in parallel with the main project and is expected to conclude later this year.'