Construction could be underway at the flagship business park Worcester Six after leading property developer Stoford submitted plans for a major data centre.
If councillors at Wychavon District Council give the go ahead for the development, work to build a 30,729 sq ft data centre with 15,670 sq ft of ancillary office accommodation will begin later this year.
The development is being undertaken on behalf of 1&1 IONOS Ltd, which provides web-hosting services and cloud solutions for small to medium enterprise businesses. Stoford anticipates completion of the unit by August 2021.
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.
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.”
Councillor Richard Morris, Deputy Leader and portfolio holder for economic growth at Wychavon District Council, added: “I really welcome this exciting proposal which in these difficult economic times once again demonstrates how attractive Wychavon, and Worcester Six, is as a place to do business.”
Councillor Ken Pollock, Cabinet Member with Responsibility for Economy and Infrastructure at Worcestershire County Council, added: “We look forward to working with IONOS, as a potential new occupier of the Worcester Six Business Park. 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. This development not only solidifies Worcester Six Business Park as a first-rate business location but also provides Worcestershire with a highly valued asset, bringing substantial economic benefits for the county.”
IONOS was established in 1988 and is the largest hosting company in Europe, managing more than eight million customer contracts and hosting more than 12 million domains in its regional data centres around the globe. It operates in nine countries around the world and employs more than 2,500 staff from 40 countries.
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.
Stoford also obtained consent for a speculative unit of 37,000 sq ft in February this year, with the developer saying it can deliver it within a 10-month period.