Massive data centre could be built at South Killingholme

A data centre with the potential to employ 370 full-time equivalent jobs, and thousands more during its construction, could be built at South Killingholme.

A preliminary environmental impact assessment (EIA) screening request has been filed with North Lincolnshire Council for the construction of a data centre on land just south of the A160 Habrough Roundabout. The data centre would be up to 309,000 sq m, gross external area, with the data elements across three buildings.

Around 370 full-time equivalent operational roles would be created, though the exact number depends on the precise set-up of the site’s activities. It is also estimated that its construction will support 3,000 jobs a year, on and off site.

The data centre would be capable of holding 384MW of IT load. Besides the data centre itself, the plans include associated offices, generators, an electricity sub-station, a horticultural glass house, car parking and security fencing. The design will also provide for a shared 3m wide footway and cycleway on Habrough Road, to link into the existing shared A160 cycleway that goes into South Killingholme. Existing hedgerow and tree boundaries will also be kept, where possible.

If it went ahead, its construction is expected to take three years. Once operational, the site will not have more than a maximum of 180 people on it at any one time, and will have approximately 90 staff at any one time. The data centre will operate on shifts, which it is indicated are expected to be from 7am in the morning to 7pm at night, and vice-versa. The site’s primary access will be via Habrough Road to the east.

Humber Tech Park Limited is the applicant. It was only incorporated on Companies House on February 28. The business covers two categories, according to its Companies House registration – the development of building projects, and data processing hosting and related activities.

Three individuals are directors and two, Anthony Crean and Nick Aldridge, share director roles also in five other registered companies, including Greystoke Land Limited.  Greystoke Land Limited owns Humber Tech Park Limited, and are in turn owned by Oxford Law Holdings Limited. This is owned by Mr Crean and Mr Aldridge, and Stancroft Trust Limited, whose ownership is split between three individuals, two Swiss and one with British and French dual nationality.

The scheme’s proposed glasshouse, up to 10m high, will be entirely heated by the excess heat of the data centre. The data centre buildings will have a maximum height of 15m, including gantry and flues.

An initial socio-economic assessment of the project not only came up with the job figures. It also indicated a limited number of people will be affected by the proposal, mainly by landscape and visual impacts.

The proposed development is also permanent, with no decommissioning phase expected. The screening opinion request indicates Humber Tech Park Limited will apply for an outline application to get permission for the overall scheme, before precise detail is sorted at a later stage.