The building of a massive data centre in Northumberland is set to take another major step forward this week.
Councillors are expected to grant permission on Tuesday for the first phase of development on the £10 billion project, in Cambois.
An initial set of enabling works began on the site of the old Blyth Power Station in October.
American firm QTS, the subsidiary of investment giant Blackstone, is now poised to win detailed planning permission for the first two of up to 10 data centre buildings earmarked for the site.
Planning for the facility
Each of the vast facilities, which will stand at around 110ft tall at their highest point, needs eight separate electricity lines, 55 diesel-powered generators to act as an emergency power supply during outages, and cooling systems to keep their huge network of computers at the right temperature.
The plans, which will go before Northumberland County Council’s strategic planning committee on Tuesday, also include two “freedom parks”, which the council describes as a “typical public park in America to honour themes of liberty or local history”.
If approved, the decision would allow construction work to start on phase one of QTS’ vision – subject to an agreement over biodiversity habitat enhancements at Potland Burn to be paid for by the developer.
Outline permission for the data centre scheme, which would cover 540,000 square metres, was granted by the local authority in March this year.
It has been estimated that the project will be staffed by around 400 people once fully operational, though there are hopes that it could indirectly create up to 2,700 jobs in related tech industries.
Recommending the plans for approval, council planners said: “In terms of landscape impact it was clear the proposal would have notable visual effects, especially on nearby residents, and from certain coastal view points, although given the combination of design detail/ improvements which included reducing the overall mass of the buildings to no more than 35m, the context of existing industrial development, and the broader benefits of the project, on balance, it was considered these material considerations outweigh the harm the proposal will have on landscape character and the visual amenity of nearby residents, making the development acceptable in this case.”
As well as the two identical data halls, the proposed works also include the building on roads, pedestrian and cycle paths, landscaping, and a security guardhouse.
Only one public objection was raised against the application, citing concerns that the development would “significantly alter the Cambois skyline” and over its water and energy use.
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