Blackstone and its data centre operating business QTS are closer to starting work on a massive data centre campus in Northumberland after the council authorised enabling works to be carried out at the former BritishVolt site in Cambois.
Northumberland County Council leader Glen Sanderson said the approval of the works was a significant milestone for as well as "another big step towards realising the massive benefits and opportunities this scheme will bring".
Blackstone completed its purchase of the brownfield site last May after gigafactory start-up BritishVolt fell into administration. QTS's plans, approved earlier in March, pave the way for a circa 5.8 million-square-foot campus, reflecting an investment of £10 billion.
The council claims it is one of the largest inward investments in the UK and will create hundreds of long-term jobs and support up to 2,700 indirect jobs, as well as 1,200 construction jobs over several years.
Preparatory works set to be carried out at the site include the creation of a site compound, vegetation clearance, repairs to the perimeter fence and various earthworks, the local authority added.
It is set to receive a £110 million fund as part of the deal which will "drive long-term investment in growth and employment opportunities across the economic corridor along the new Northumberland Line".
QTS co-chief executive Tag Greason said in a statement: "The enabling works approval is a major milestone and the first visible step in delivering on our shared vision with the Northumberland County Council.
"The council’s leadership and collaboration has been instrumental in shaping a project that will bring long-term benefits to the North East region. As we take the next steps forward, we remain committed to hiring locally, supporting training and economic growth, and being responsible, engaged members of the community."
The Cambois site, which previously housed Blyth Power Station, is one of a number of major UK data centre plans in the offing with developments set to grow by around a fifth, according to data reported in the BBC.
More than half of the 100 or so planned projects will be built in London and surrounding counties, while nine are pencilled for Wales, five for Greater Manchester and one in Scotland, among others.
