World-class data centre moving to EM3’s Enterprise Zone

Ark Data Centres are to deliver and manage a world class data centre at Longcross Park on the Enterprise M3 EZ3 Enterprise Zone.

The 10-acres site has been sold by park owners Crest Nicholson and Aviva Investors with outline planning permission and Ark will submit detailed plans in early 2020.

The data centres campus at Longcross Park is the first commercial development agreed for the site. The development has 200 homes completed or under construction, and will ultimately total around 1,700 homes, community facilities including a new school, and an 85-acre country park.

The £6.6M glass fronted Discovery Building which is already underway and set to complete in summer 2020, will offer a mix of uses including a delicatessen, bakery and coffee shop as well as two floors of flexible office accommodation.

Enterprise M3 chief executive Kathy Slack said:

It’s fantastic to see Ark Data Centres coming to Longcross Park and Enterprise M3’s EZ3 Enterprise Zone. This further emphasises our strengths in digital, knowledge and design that are the key features of our economic growth.

The unconditional sale of the 10-acre site to Ark Data Centres is a significant milestone for the Longcross Park development. The creation of a state-of-the-art data centre with high-quality design credentials and the hub that will be The Discovery Building is a major step in the delivery of our vision for Longcross Park.

Anil Bungar,Senior Development Director for Crest Nicholson

This deal is great news for Longcross Park and will set the pace of transformation on site. we continue to progress positive discussions with a wide range of interested parties.

Ben Littman,Aviva Investors

This site acquisition is one of the next steps in Ark’s ongoing expansion. The Longcross Park development plan dovetails perfectly with Ark’s commitment to providing customers with the very best data centres, when and where needed while aligning with Ark’s existing footprint. The Ark team continues their stellar execution against Ark’s strategic plan for both the company and its customers.

Huw Owen,Ark Data Centres