Plans for what is set to become the UK’s largest artificial intelligence data centre campus have received outline planning approval, marking a major milestone for digital infrastructure in the country. The vast scheme near Scunthorpe in North Lincolnshire will transform the former RAF Elsham Wolds airfield into a hyperscale technology campus capable of supporting the rapidly growing demand for artificial intelligence and cloud computing services. The development, known as Elsham Tech Park, would deliver more than 1.5 million square metres of data centre floorspace spread across 15 data halls. Once completed, the campus is expected to support up to 1,000MW of IT load, placing it among the most ambitious digital infrastructure projects ever proposed in the UK. The project is being brought forward by Elsham Tech Park Ltd, a company established specifically to deliver the scheme and overseen by planning and infrastructure specialist Greystoke. The proposals cover a 176-hectare site and include a significant supporting energy infrastructure to power the facility. At the heart of the masterplan is a new energy centre capable of generating up to 49.9MW on site, alongside substations, battery energy storage systems, district heating infrastructure and additional flexible commercial space. A distinctive element of the project is the inclusion of energy-efficient greenhouse agriculture facilities. These would reuse excess heat generated by the data halls to support food production, creating a more circular approach to energy use and sustainability. The scale of the development is expected to generate significant economic activity during construction. A 10-year build programme has been outlined, with estimates suggesting the project could support between 2,600 and 3,600 full-time equivalent construction jobs each year across the supply chain. Construction is currently anticipated to begin in 2027, with the first phase of the campus targeted to open in 2029. Buildings across the site would range between 7m and 23m in height. Extensive landscape bunds reaching up to 10m high, together with new woodland planting, are proposed to reduce visual impact and integrate the campus into the surrounding countryside. The scheme will also feature a central spine road connecting all 15 development zones, each capable of being delivered independently. A new primary access route will link the campus to the nearby industrial estate. If completed, Elsham Tech Park would place Lincolnshire at the forefront of the UK’s rapidly expanding artificial intelligence and cloud computing sector, creating a major new hub for digital infrastructure and technology investment. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals

A £104m public funding package aimed at kick-starting a new arena, film studios and cultural infrastructure across the North East could unlock major construction work beginning this summer. The ambitious Crown Works Studios project in Sunderland is among the developments expected to move forward as part of the investment programme. North East Mayor Kim McGuinness said the funding would help unlock plans for the large-scale film studio complex while also supporting enabling works for a long-planned arena at Gateshead Quays. The largest single scheme within the programme is the £39m Crown Works Studios development. Preparatory construction work for phase one is expected to begin in July. The first phase will deliver around 125,000 sq ft of studio space, combining a new Studio One building with the conversion of the former Doxford Printworks site beside the River Wear. Once complete in 2027, the development is expected to rank among the largest film studio facilities in northern England. Funding for the scheme includes £11m of recyclable investment funding, £500,000 a year in operational support over five years, and £25m from previously allocated Trailblazer Devolution Deal funding. Alongside the Sunderland development, the Mayor has earmarked £24m to help unlock a new arena scheme at Gateshead Quays. The funding would support infrastructure works needed to prepare the riverside site for a proposed 12,500 to 15,000-seat arena. Plans also include a new public performance square next to The Glasshouse International Centre for Music and the creation of a green linear park linking the Tyne riverside with the Baltic Quarter. The investment is expected to help restart development at the Gateshead Quays site, where arena plans stalled during the pandemic amid rising construction costs. In January 2023 it was revealed that the estimated cost of the project had increased from £260m to more than £350m. The arena is also set to become the first major scheme linked to the Newcastle–Gateshead Mayoral Development Zone, which was established last year to accelerate regeneration along the Tyne corridor. Beyond the major construction projects, the wider £104m package also includes a £42m North East Culture, Creative Industries and Sport framework. This funding is intended to support grassroots venues, festivals and wider growth across the region’s creative sector. Mayor Kim McGuinness said: “If you have a creative dream, you don’t need London to succeed. We’ll prove that.” The proposals are due to go before the North East Combined Authority cabinet next week for approval. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals

Lancaster City Council has approved revised plans for the £100 million Eden Project Morecambe, giving the go-ahead to a significantly streamlined version of the long-anticipated seafront attraction. Councillors granted planning permission for a second time after developers reduced the overall scale of the scheme, cutting the number of signature biomes from four to two and substantially lowering the total floor area. The redesign follows years of construction cost inflation, which had stalled the original programme and pushed back a targeted 2024 completion date. Designed by Grimshaw Architects, the development will occupy the 11-acre former Bubbles Leisure Complex and Superdome site on Morecambe’s promenade. Under the updated proposals, internal floorspace has been reduced from 185,000 sq ft to 91,500 sq ft, while the height of the main dome has been lowered by four metres to 37.3 metres. Opening is now anticipated in late 2028. Grimshaw’s distinctive ‘colony of shells’ concept remains central to the design, but only two domes will now be delivered – the Realm of the Sun and the Realm of the Moon – connected by a central arrival space known as the Metronome. With less built form across the site, landscaping will play a greater role in shaping the visitor experience. Two expanded outdoor gardens, Rhythm and All Seasons, will provide additional open-air space for events and performances. Projected visitor numbers have also been revised down from one million to 585,000 annually, reducing the scale of associated transport and infrastructure works. John Pye, project director for Eden Project Morecambe, described the approval as a major milestone, confirming that formal agreements are being finalised as the scheme moves forward. The project previously secured £50 million in public funding to support regeneration of the derelict site. A construction partner has yet to be appointed, with preparatory works expected to begin in October. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals

The British Antarctic Survey (BAS) has officially opened the £100m Discovery Building at Rothera Research Station, marking the on-time and on-budget delivery of the largest construction project ever undertaken by the UK in Antarctica – a once-in-a-generation upgrade to the UK’s Antarctic research and operational capability. The facility was delivered as part of the government-funded £670 million Antarctic Infrastructure Modernisation Programme (AIMP) in partnership with BAM, Ramboll, Sweco, G&A Barnie Group, Turner and Townsend and Hugh Broughton Architects. The building, with an internal floor area of 4,500 square metres, features over 100 rooms and spaces spread over two floors and will serve as the operational “beating heart” of the UK’s main Antarctic research station, providing all power, drinking water, and communications. The building, alongside its new network of services, has been formally opened by Professor Dame Jane Francis, Director of BAS, to mark the completion of the project which began in 2019. The Discovery Building has been delivered following a six-year programme of meticulous design, logistics planning and phased construction in one of the most extreme environments on the planet and where materials must be transported more than 8,000 miles to site. The new facility replaces ageing infrastructure spread across multiple buildings and is designed to provide a safer and more efficient environment for staff, alongside reducing station carbon emissions by 25% through improved energy efficiency. With the Discovery Building now operational, the AIMP team has begun the phased deconstruction of six redundant buildings, with three already completed, one in progress and two more to be undertaken this Antarctic summer season. Deconstruction is a carefully managed process used in place of demolition, deconstructing elements piece-by-piece, to minimise environmental impact and to allow materials and waste to be managed in a controlled and responsible way. Waste is being consolidated into shipping containers by site teams to optimise freight movements, with excavated areas and former foundations backfilled following removal. Where suitable, materials are being reused on site, including the repurposing of cladding panels from Old Bransfield House, one of the station’s original dining and accommodation buildings, to provide temporary weatherproofing to other structures while permanent upgrades are planned. The AIMP programme, the largest UK investment in Antarctic science infrastructure since the 1980s, has already delivered the UK’s polar research ship RRS Sir David Attenborough (launched in 2021), upgraded wharfs at Rothera and King Edward Point research stations, and an upgraded runway at Rothera. The investment demonstrates the UK’s commitment to world-leading polar science and Britain’s long-term presence in Antarctica, where research provides crucial insights into global climate systems and changes in our oceans which affect people worldwide. The ongoing investment in the UK’s polar infrastructure is a significant element of the UK Government’s commitment to Antarctica, as set out in the recently published UK Antarctic Strategy. Lord Patrick Vallance, Minister of State for Science, Research, Innovation and Nuclear, said: “Antarctic research is essential to understanding how changing climate patterns could affect our planet in the years to come, from food security to flooding risk, so together we can act. The UK has long been a leader in polar science and this government investment in modern, state of the art facilities will enable current and future generations of researchers to tackle shared challenges with our international partners.” Elen Jones, AIMP Director at British Antarctic Survey, said: “The Antarctic Infrastructure Programme is the largest investment in our polar infrastructure for decades and this is a huge milestone in that programme. The Discovery Building represents the scale of collaboration and long-term planning required to deliver major infrastructure in Antarctica, and the co-ordination of multiple experts in such a remote environment has been a significant achievement. We want to thank everyone who’s played a part in developing, designing and delivering this building and are incredibly excited to see it come to life in the year of Rothera’s 50th anniversary, becoming an asset that will support Antarctic operations and scientific research for decades to come.” David Brand, Senior Project Manager at British Antarctic Survey, said: “Delivering this impressive new Discovery Building and our wider programme of modernisation at Rothera has been a significant engineering and logistics achievement in one of the most challenging construction environments in the world. The project required long-term collaboration with our partners, careful planning around the seasonal changes in Antarctica, the complex challenges of delivering staff, equipment and materials to such a remote location, which was essential to maintaining momentum and ensuring we delivered the project on time.” The programme is delivered in partnership with BAM, Ramboll, Sweco, G&A Barnie Group Ltd, Turner and Townsend and Hugh Broughton Architects, with additional support from NORR and OFR. By the end of the 2025 – 2026 season, both the Discovery Building handover and decommissioning of the outdated facilities will be complete, paving the way for a more streamlined, efficient Rothera Research Station that is equipped for the future of polar research. To find out more, visit: https://www.bas.ac.uk/polar-operations/aimp/ or be one of the first people to look around the Discovery Building through BAS’ latest YouTube video tour Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals

Railpen, manager of the £34bn Railways Pension Scheme in the UK, has achieved a BREEAM ‘Outstanding’ design-stage score for Botanic Place, its 325,000 sq ft landmark development in the heart of Cambridge. Botanic Place attained an unprecedented 100.54% credits, although the score is capped at 100%. This milestone achievement officially makes Botanic Place the first office building in the UK to achieve 100% at Design stage[1]. Railpen’s ambition for Botanic Place is to create global-standard headquarters offices for companies operating predominantly in the AI, tech, innovation, and pharmaceutical sectors seeking a significant presence in the UK’s Golden Triangle. Currently under construction and due for completion in Q1 2028, Botanic Place comprises two buildings: 1 Botanic Place (175,000 sq ft) and 2 Botanic Place (150,000 sq ft). BREEAM (Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method) is the global gold standard for sustainability in the built environment. While a score of 85% is required to reach the ‘Outstanding’ threshold, Botanic Place has exceeded this by a significant margin. The record-breaking score was made possible through a suite of pioneering environmental features integrated via intelligent design. Each represents market-leading thinking and innovation by Railpen, working closely with its development manager, Socius, and wider team. Many of Botanic Place’s innovations also respond to specific contextual factors, such as the well-documented pressures on water supply in Cambridge. Examples include: Maria Averkina, Senior Asset and Development Manager at Railpen, commented: “Achieving the first 100% BREEAM score for an office development at design stage in the UK is a testament to Railpen’s commitment to understanding not only what occupiers want and need but as importantly, what the surrounding context requires. Botanic Place is a global blueprint for the future of the office, and one that also makes a significant positive contribution environmentally and socially to Cambridge. By using intelligent design to push the boundaries of what is possible in sustainable development, we are providing our future occupiers with a space that prioritises environmental integrity and human wellbeing, supporting productivity and talent retention.  The recognition is also testament to the innovation and shared commitment among our professional team and development manager, Socius.” Dan Asquith, BREEAM Business Development Team Leader at BRE, added: “BREEAM ‘Outstanding’ represents the top 1% of UK non-domestic buildings, but Botanic Place has created a category of its own. By integrating pioneering technologies, from the night purge ventilation mode to the dynamic façade design, this project has pushed the boundaries of our assessment criteria. A score of 100.54% is a testament to a rigorous, holistic approach to sustainability that balances carbon reduction with biodiversity and occupant wellbeing. We are delighted to see such a high level of technical excellence being delivered by Railpen in the heart of Cambridge.” Located adjacent to the Cambridge University Botanic Garden and minutes from Cambridge station, Botanic Place will offer private and common roof terraces of 40,000 sq ft providing outstanding 360 degree views of the city, including Botanic Garden from multiple levels, as well as market-defining public spaces, landscaped gardens, internal amenties, events spaces, and food and beverage areas. These will be complemented by 1,300 cycling spaces and exceptional end-of-journey facilities. Railpen has assembled a world-class team to deliver Botanic Place, including development manager Socius, architect Allford Hall Monaghan Morris (AHMM), contractor Skanska, and construction consultants, Real PM, with sustainability and MEP consultancy provided by Hoare Lea. Railpen’s office leasing agents for Botanic Place are JLL, Knight Frank, and Savills. In addition to Botanic Place, Railpen’s unique Mill Yard campus-style mixed-use development is under construction and due for completion in Q1 2027. It has also achieved BREEAM Outstanding, placing it within the top 0.5% of sustainable buildings globally. Both developments form part of Railpen’s Cambridge Innovation Cluster, which comprises 11 assets totalling 1.9m sq ft of high-quality space, including the recently consented 1m sq ft Beehive innovation hub. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals