Ark Data Centres has been given approval to build another data center at a campus near Corsham in the UK.
As reported by the Wiltshire Times (WT), the data center will reside at Ark's Spring Campus on Westwells Road, which is already home to five other data centers.
This latest addition to the campus will be located at the eastern corner and will be protected by a perimeter fence and monitored by CCTV cameras 24/7.
Approval for the data center proposal was given on May 23rd. The original application describes the project as the "erection of a new data center plant, vehicle access, parking and highway works, enclosures, landscaping, drainage and attenuation features, and other associated works and infrastructure."
The site being developed was formerly home to a factory building which has since been demolished. Another part of the site is the former Hawthorn Works, which was home to Stephens Platsics and will need to be demolished.
The data center will span three stories, with a total data center space of 22,120 sqm (238,097 sq ft).
The application states that the new building will adhere to Ark's design principles thus far, and describes Spring Campus as a "business campus with a parkland aesthetic."
WT reports some upset from residents of the nearby village Neston regarding the latest addition.
Resident Peter Clark said: “We are already subject to noise from the existing Ark data centers. On still nights and also when the wind is unfavorable, we hear the drone of the ventilation systems.”
Ben Holliss added: “Neston is a delightful traditional Wiltshire village, but increasingly the village is being encroached pretty much on all sides by industrial/commercial/military units, and there is a real risk that the village feel is being irreversibly lost.”
The Ark application stated: “The Spring Park Campus already delivers a major economic dividend – and this proposal will support and expand its positive impact on the local and regional economy." It is also expected to bring more jobs to the area.
Benjamin Palmer, team leader of EMEA at DataX Connect commented on the development regarding local critics in a post on LinkedIn: "Is one more building on a site with five data centers already really going to make significantly more noise?"
Founded in 2005, Ark operates data center campuses at Cody Park in Farnborough, Meridian Park in north London, and Spring Park in Wiltshire's Corsham. It has a number of projects in development in Union Park, Long Cross Park, and Alliance Park in west London.
Ark serves a number of UK government departments and agencies, and also has a joint venture with the Cabinet Office called Crown Hosting to provide colocation services to public sector bodies and government departments.
Infratil owner Morrison & Co. considered acquiring Ark in March 2023.
