A NEAR 40,000sq ft data centre is set to become the latest addition to the flagship Worcester Six Business Park after leading property developer Stoford submitted plans to council chiefs.
If the planning, which is being determined by Wychavon District Council, gets the green light to the new development, work to build the data centre with almost half of this space being used for office accommodation, will begin later this year.
The development is on behalf of 1&1 IONOS Ltd, which provides web-hosting services and cloud solutions for small to medium enterprise businesses. Stoford have said it anticipates completion of the unit in summer 2021.
Edward Peel, development manager at Stoford, said: “We are pleased to announce the submission of the planning application for IONOS, which in the current environment recognises the strength of the business park and continues the success we have experienced to date at Worcester Six.
“IONOS Ltd will join a raft of high-quality and global businesses at the business park, all of which have recognised the strategic location, excellent transport links and first-class workforce. We’re looking forward to getting started and delivering yet another prime unit.”
The new site will be home to a highly energy efficient, state-of-the art data centre for IONOS and its subsidiary brand Fasthosts for UK and overseas customers.
In the next few years, 10,000 servers will move from existing locations in Gloucester to Worcester Six. At the same time, the new data centre will have sufficient space for expected growth as more businesses move applications into the cloud. IONOS aims to have the data centre operational by January 2022.
Coun Ken Pollock, cabinet member for Economy and Infrastructure at Worcestershire County Council, added: “This news is testament to the teams who have worked tirelessly in the most difficult of circumstances to maintain the county’s extensive progress in the business development and growth area.
“Data has become one of the world’s most valuable commodities in recent years and the pandemic has not altered this. Data centre demand continues to be driven by the rapid adoption of cloud services and the emergence of business models.”
In the past 18 months, Worcester Six has welcomed Marmon Food and Beverage Equipment, Siemens, Spire Healthcare, Kimal and Kohler Mira at Worcester Six. Once fully developed, the business park will provide 1.5 million sq ft of accommodation.
