Plans lodged for £350m Stockport data centre

Kao Data anticipates that the 40MW facility will be in operation by late 2026, subject to the approval of its plans for the 10-acre plot at Kenwood Point.

The developer and operator has lodged plans with Stockport Council to deliver a 278,800 sq ft data centre on the site off Kenwood Road, home to a former industrial warehouse.

Hale Architecture is behind the plans for the £350m scheme, which would play a pivotal role in advancing the town’s scientific research and technological aspirations.

The three-storey centre would house the data storage function, providing offices and plant rooms, as well as data processing spaces.

Proposals for the wider campus feature back-up generators, a security lodge, and a high-voltage electricity substation.

In terms of sustainability, the facility would be fully powered by renewable energy with hydrotreated vegetable oil to be used to power the generators, reducing the carbon emissions by 90%. An advanced cooling system is also proposed to be installed to further enhance the energy efficiency of the building.

This development marks London-based Kao Data’s first venture into the North, with existing centres located in Harlow, Slough, and Northolt.

Kenwood Point is currently occupied by an empty 160,100 sq ft warehouse, which would be demolished to make way for the centre.

Kao Data acquired the 10-acre site in May from Mercia Real Estate, before running a consultation in October on its proposals for the facility. The land “provides an excellent opportunity to provide a high-tech data centre” due to its access to power and ability to act as a central business hub, according to a planning statement.

JLL is advising on the proposals. The project team also includes EDP, Tetra Tec, SLR, RSK, ADAS, Hoare Lea, and Abstruct.

To learn more about the project, search for application number DC/090411 on Stockport Council’s planning portal.