Plans filed for three-building data center campus in Northumberland, UK

Plans have been filed to develop a data center in the northeast of England, close to QTS’ planned development.

As reported by the Northumberland Gazette, and FDI Intelligence, Wansbeck Regeneration Ltd this month filed for planning permission with Northumberland County Council to develop a data center campus.

The company is seeking to develop on 28 hectares of land northwest of High Brocklands in West Sleekburn, Northumberland. The West Sleekburn Data Centre campus would total up to 356,500 sqm (3.8 million sq ft).

Planning documents suggest three buildings and two on-site substations are planned. Wansbeck Regeneration originally planned four buildings totaling 451MW, but revised plans during the pre-application process.

Some 90MW of natural gas-powered fuel cells are also planned, offering around 50MW of IT load capacity. The company said these cells will be a “bridging solution” and will be removed once the site is fully operational.

“The proposals represent a significant opportunity to build on the location of the site within an AI Growth Zone by providing substantial inward investment within Northumberland, and generating significant direct and indirect job opportunities within the local area,” the company said in planning documents.

News that a data center was being planned in West Sleekburn surfaced earlier this year, though few details were available at the time.

The site was previously part of the wider GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) pharmaceutical manufacturing facility that operated in Cambois from 1971 until around 2004.

The project is around a mile north of the Cambois project from QTS. The 540,000 sqm (5,800,000 sq ft) campus will be built at the former Blyth Power Station. Up to ten data center buildings totaling 720MW could be developed at full build-out.

Few details about Wansbeck Regeneration are available.