Blackpool unveils Silicon Sands data campus masterplan
The masterplan for Blackpool’s Silicon Sands data centre campus has been unveiled, with the council inviting expressions of interest from developers and operators to build and run its first site.
The first data centre at the site is set to start construction next year on a cleared area of land. It will include a research and office facility on the upper floors. Developers are invited to submit proposals by the end of July.
To develop the Silicon Sands cluster, which sits within the Blackpool Airport Enterprise Zone, work is progressing to relocate and rebuild old hangars and administration buildings at Blackpool Airport close to the main runway.
The masterplan for Blackpool’s Silicon Sands data centre campus has been unveiled, with the council inviting expressions of interest from developers and operators to build and run its first site.
The first data centre at the site is set to start construction next year on a cleared area of land. It will include a research and office facility on the upper floors. Developers are invited to submit proposals by the end of July.
To develop the Silicon Sands cluster, which sits within the Blackpool Airport Enterprise Zone, work is progressing to relocate and rebuild old hangars and administration buildings at Blackpool Airport close to the main runway.
Across a 40-acre site north of Blackpool Airport, Silicon Sands will be anchored by renewables-powered high-performance data centres, while also offering development land for businesses which could benefit from direct access to a data centre.
Blackpool is home to the Celtix-Connect2 internet cable, connecting the town to New York, Dublin and northern Europe as part of the North Atlantic Loop, which carries up to one-third of the world’s internet traffic.
Mark Smith, cabinet member for levelling up (place) at Blackpool Council, said: “Silicon Sands has the potential to be a complete game-changer in our plans to make Blackpool better. With the power supply, land availability and ultra-fast internet access, we can sit at the heart of a new digital revolution not just for the town, but for the entire region.
“For Blackpool, this could mean significant inward investment and thousands of well-paid new jobs across the Fylde Coast, which in turn will retain the talent of our young people in Blackpool rather than losing them to other parts of the country, as well allowing high performance businesses of the future to grow fast on the Fylde Coast.
“For the data centre industry, Silicon Sands offers the chance to reduce its impact on the environment and on the National Grid and show a modern climate friendly future that can major regeneration benefits.”
Architects at Cassidy and Ashton and engineering consultancy WSP advised on the masterplan.
Image © Cassidy and Ashton
