A CITY MP has been wowed by the transformation of a mansion into a centre of science.

Mark Lancaster took a tour of Chicheley Hall, in his Milton Keynes North constituency, which is now the home of the scientific institution, the Royal Society.

Delegates from all around the world have begun to flock to the former family home for conferences on groundbreaking subjects since it opened on June 2.

Mr Lancaster praised the quality of the £7 million renovation to the Grade I-listed Georgian house, which now sports lecture theatres and 47 bedrooms.

Just north of Newport Pagnell, the Kavli Centre is linked with nearby universities, the OU, Cranfield and Buckingham.

In fact, it is situated in the middle of the ‘Oxford-Cambridge Arc’, the geographical area set to boast an ‘arc’ of innovation and entrepreneurial activity through research, education and business.

The Royal Society’s Dr Peter Cotgreave said the setting is the perfect place for the Society’s fellows to be inspired.

Mr Lancaster said: “I am so impressed by the Royal Society’s transformation of Chicheley Hall and wholeheartedly welcome it to Milton Keynes. This will put Milton Keynes on the international map for scientific significance. The arrival of this prestigious body is yet another example of the brilliant organisations we have here, another hidden gem, tucked away. But it is only a matter of time before Milton Keynes is known as a centre of innovation and education, not just concrete cows and roundabouts.”