Salford paves way for £250m data centre

A 66,300 sq ft data centre and the conversion of a nursing home into a Jewish girls’ school were both approved by the city council.

Liverpool Road data centre

Digital Land & Development, working in partnership with landowner Peel Waters, has secured consent to erect a 66,300 sq ft data centre at the former White’s reclamation site off Liverpool Road.

Located on a 6.3-acre site, the TTSP-designed data centre will comprise 56,000 sq ft of floorspace for digital infrastructure and 12,000 sq ft of ancillary office space. Plans indicate there will be 17 car parking spaces at the centre.

The site in question currently hosts a scrap yard and motor garage. The site was vacated in 2015, and since then only part remediation has been undertaken.

The data centre consists of large open data halls accommodating the processing server racks which are the “heart of the facility, together with mechanical and electrical plant accommodation, risers’ circulation, and storage space.”

The proposed data centre building has been pushed towards the rear of the site to ensure that it does not project past the front elevations of the residential properties to the site’s east.

The facility is adjoined directly by the front-of-house amenities, including reception, security, operations, office spaces, welfare facilities, and delivery zones.

Last year, Peel Waters was granted planning permission for a 110,000 sq ft industrial scheme on the same site.

Peter Linstead, development director for land and logistics at Peel Waters, said: “We’re really pleased that Salford City Council have recognised the need for this development at our Halo West site.

“Receiving unanimous approval from the planning committee demonstrates a clear alignment between the public and private sector to bring forward innovative growth opportunities and deliver much-needed technological infrastructure within the region.”

Johnny Conway, director at Digital Land & Development, added: “Digital Land & Development are excited to be bringing the site forward for a next-generation data centre as one of a number of projects across the UK, which given the increasing pace of data processing is driving the necessary requirement for the data centre facilities that house and support this need.

“We would like to thank Salford City Council for approving this development which will be crucial for the UK to maintain its position as a global leader in technology.”

Firms that contributed to the scheme include WSP, Exterior Architecture, BWB, Graphite, E3P, SKYA, Proximity, and Shepherd Gilmour Consulting Engineers. To learn more, search for reference number PA/2024/1810 on Salford City Council’s planning portal.

The change of use will see 27,500 sq ft of floorspace freed up for educational use. Credit: Google Earth

Laburnum Court school nursing home conversion

Charity Beis Malka has won permission to convert Laburnum Court, currently a 66-room care home off Priory Grove, into a girls’ school for three to 16-year-olds.

The change of use will see 27,500 sq ft of floorspace freed up for educational use. The building itself has two storeys and an attic space for staff.

Following the grant of planning approval, the 328 pupils from Bais Malka will move from their current location, at 399-401 Bury New Road, to the 0.8-acre site off Priory Grove.

The school’s current premises lack disabled access and are reliant on temporary accommodation, which doubles as a lesson and activity space as well as a meeting hall.

Planning agent and architect Atelier MB assisted applicant Yitzi Luftig with the application.

Others on the project team include Tyrer Ecological Consultants, RS Acoustic Engineering, and Murray Tree Consultancy.

To learn more search for reference number PA/2024/0477 on Salford City Council’s planning portal.