Microsoft has submitted plans for a large-scale data centre campus on the former Skelton Grange Power Station site in Leeds. The proposal, lodged by its subsidiary MSFT MCIO Ltd, follows Harworth Group’s sale of 48 acres to Microsoft, the first plot valued at around £53m.
The hybrid application seeks full planning approval for three data centre buildings totalling roughly 1.27 million sq ft, supported by power, water, and security infrastructure. Outline permission is also being sought for an additional 160,000 sq ft of warehouse and distribution space with HGV charging bays, access routes, and parking facilities.
Construction is projected to last six and a half years, supporting an average of 741 jobs during the build phase and contributing around £9.7m in regional gross value added. Once operational, the campus could sustain over 370 full-time equivalent roles across local and national levels.
Harworth acquired the former power station site for £3m in 2014 and has since remediated and expanded it by 21 acres. The wider Skelton Grange redevelopment will integrate industrial, logistics and renewable energy facilities, including a 49MW energy-from-waste plant and a battery storage system. When complete, the project is expected to attract over £4bn in inward investment and deliver new green infrastructure across the 250,000 sq ft mixed-use site.
