Kao Data has received approval from local councillors for its £350 mln (€410 mln) data centre project in Stockport.
Local councillors on Stockport Council’s Heatons and Reddish Area Committee voted in favour of granting planning permission for the scheme on Reddish’s Kenwood Road Industrial Estate, with plans now set to progress to the borough’s Planning and Highways Regulation Committee, which will have the final say.
Specialist data centre operator and developer, Kao Data, first proposed the 40 MW facility in 2023 which is set to repurpose a former 1970s industrial warehouse to support the computing power needed by Greater Manchester’s digital economy.
A public consultation during October 2023 found the majority of respondents welcomed the sustainability and energy efficiency considerations that were illustrated in the plans.
Kao Data’s Adam Nethersole commented: 'This is great news for Stockport and a boost for the technology ecosystem across Greater Manchester. The deployment of the largest data centre in the north of England, and one of the most advanced facilities in the world, will provide a cutting-edge platform for future tech careers, aspiring technology AI start-ups and encourage the world’s leading tech businesses into the city region.'
