Blackpool forges ahead with first £60m data centre at Silicon Sands
A planning application for a 40,000 sq ft facility providing 6MW of capacity is expected this side of Christmas and would mark the most significant step yet for the ambitious 50-acre campus.
Silicon Sands’ first data centre, expected to cost somewhere between £60m and £80m, would also feature 20,000 sq ft of ancillary office space.
It would be constructed on the site of the old fire station and engineering yard at Blackpool Airport, which was demolished in 2023. The council acquired the land using a £2m devolution grant.
The scheme is being billed as a technology exemplar as it would pioneer the use of liquid immersion cooling technology alongside sustainable energy supply and a district heating system.
The Silicon Sands masterplan makes provision for two more data centres of 10MW and 30MW capacity.
Cllr Mark Smith, Blackpool Council’s cabinet member for economy and built environment, said: “Silicon Sands is a transformational opportunity for Blackpool. It can create thousands of well-paid jobs, attract investment, and put us at the forefront of sustainable digital development.
“That vision is proven by the significant interest we have had from the private sector already.
“Silicon Sands is about so much more than just data centres though. We are carefully managing the programme so that we can create data centres which are carbon friendly, and can even supply waste heat back to local communities.”
The scheme is a priority regeneration initiative for Blackpool Council and would be constructed with the Blackpool Airport Enterprise Zone. The council estimates the potential GVA boost at a whopping £14bn.
Such is the scale of the ambition, the council has put the campus forward for AI Growth Zone status.
The idea was born out of the arrival of the transatlantic Aquacomms fibre cable, which affords some of the fastest internet speeds in the world.
The council has reported “significant” interest from private investors in the data centre opportunity. There were more than 80 expressions of interest following the market testing exercise launched in May 2024.
This has now been whittled down to seven bids that will inform the procurement process for a development partner.
Blimey O’Reilly ? This looks like a fantastic idea. With AI an internet speeds being required heavier usage this is a perfect opportunity to make the area look great and hopefully make some money? Not gonna lie I’m guessing the old farts were on holiday or asleep to put the screw in this development? (At the council)
By Francis
What a Great Opportunity to bring well paid jobs to our town just hope they don’t mess this up like lots of great opportunities to promote the community
By Neil Beedham
As a retired person who lives close to the proposed centre, I think it’s a fantastic idea. We desperately need to modernise the town.
By Michael
@ November 04, 2025 at 9:59 am
By Michael
I agree. Blackpool has the good fortune to lay on top of this internet cable. Credit to all involved for pursuing this initiative.
By Rye
It will go tits up like all investments this Council oversees. Remember the central area regeneration housing estate that lay dormant for years. These schemes will not create thousands of jobs for Blackpool they never have and never will.
By Alan
Blackpool can’t even afford to look after it’s children properly sort out the places that need it! This is all well an good for the ones that make something from it, but it won’t benefit the town! Has anything else up there done it before?
By Rik
Too little power for the size of building.. either this report is incorrect or the Council have got no idea what they are doing in relation to the Data Centre market!!!
By Anonymous
Well .. what else is Blackpool going to do.. you’ve got wave wind and nuclear CV lose enough.. go for it
By Anonymous
Great opportunity for blackpool to be a more diversified economy and at the forefront of this cutting edge technology.
Well done 👏
By Dean James
Go,Blackpool !! Don’t listen to that negative
cod’s wallop from the usual suspects.Have we
not seen enough of our kids’ brain drain? Fight
on, Sand Grown ‘Uns.
By Roderick FARR
It’s certainly ambitious and bold,I would be interested to see who has actually thought of it certainly it won’t be an elected councillor lol
By Steve hunter
What a great opportunity for Blackpool to be at the forefront and make some money for itself, whilst keeping its heritage. This will benefit the children and future generations if completed in the right way. Well done Blackpool council.
By Anonymous
I wish them well – but it has taken them 4 years to get this far isn’t really progress. Blackpool are outliers compared to usual searches for data centre sites yet seem to be doing very little to address this. They have put the roads in on spec – using public money. And have their IT person doing 2 jobs running a scheme of this ‘ambition’ The Dante announcement on Place NW another competitor – for an area that’s not competing.
By Mary Spring