University data centre plans approved

Several potential sites had been explored before the university decided on the plot at Aykley Heads

Plans to build a data centre within a new business park have been approved.

Durham University's facility will form part of a development currently being built to support data-intensive businesses.

The centre at Aykley Heads will house a super-computer, data hall and offices, according to plans approved by Durham County Council's planning committee on Friday.

The university said the facility will help to create jobs and support the local economy, but concerns have been raised over the quality and potential of the development.

Seen by the Local Democracy Reporting Service, the 2021 masterplan for the business park gave consent for office space at Plot D of the large Aykley Heads site, which could have allowed for the creation of hundreds of jobs.

Michael Hurlow, of the City of Durham Trust, said the alternate data centre proposals for the plot "failed to deliver on the promise of a high-quality business park" and fell short of the standards expected.

The City of Durham Parish Council highlighted the difference between the 200-300 future jobs that could have been created if the site was used for office space and the seven to 15 jobs estimated for the data centre.

A spokesman for the county council acknowledged the "notable reduction" but said both uses of the site were consistent with the masterplan, adding: "The loss of potential jobs would not be a reasonable reason to resist granting permission for the current proposal."

A Durham University spokeswoman claimed the wider development would generate new jobs, attract businesses to the region and equip workers with advanced skills.