Plans have been submitted for the first phase of the landmark Mix Manchester development, a 1.6 million sq ft scheme set to become the UK’s first airport-based science, innovation and advanced manufacturing campus. The hybrid planning application marks a significant step forward for the joint venture partnership behind the project, bringing forward a substantial pipeline of industrial and commercial space designed to support high-growth sectors. Phase one will deliver more than 70,000 sq ft of flexible mid-tech workspace, targeting innovative and fast-scaling businesses. The proposals also include a 1,500-space multi-storey mobility hub, incorporating cycle facilities and ground-floor commercial uses to support sustainable transport and on-site amenities. In addition, the application outlines 500,000 sq ft of medium and large-scale advanced manufacturing space, alongside a further 600,000 sq ft allocated for research and development, offices, laboratory facilities and hotel accommodation. The mix of uses reflects a growing demand for integrated campuses that combine production, innovation and business operations within a single location. Helen Ratcliffe, head of agency and development at Mix Manchester, said the submission follows months of detailed preparation and represents a key milestone for the scheme. She noted that the development will provide high-specification, technology-led space, with the first units expected to be delivered from the fourth quarter of 2027. The hybrid nature of the application seeks detailed consent for the initial phase while also securing outline approval for future expansion, enabling long-term flexibility as the scheme evolves. The wider vision is to create a transformative destination that supports start-ups and established occupiers alike, while generating significant employment opportunities across the region. Mix Manchester is being brought forward through a partnership between Manchester Airports Group, Manchester City Council, Greater Manchester Pension Fund and Beijing Construction Engineering Group, highlighting a collaborative approach to delivering one of the UK’s most ambitious industrial-led developments. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals

Hamilton-based clean energy infrastructure developer ILI Group has been shortlisted for Green Business of the Year at the British Business Awards 2026, recognising its role in developing the infrastructure needed to support the UK’s transition to net zero. The awards will take place at the Edinburgh International Conference Centre (EICC) on 30 April 2026, bringing together around 2,000 business leaders from across the UK. More than 400 companies entered this year’s awards, with shortlisted businesses assessed across areas including business performance, innovation, workforce and culture, customer impact, and contribution to society and the wider economy. ILI Group develops large-scale energy storage and green hyperscale data centres – infrastructure that supports the transition to a low-carbon electricity system. Its portfolio comprises 4.1GW of infrastructure projects, including 2.6GW of energy storage and 1.5GW of green hyperscale data centres. These data centres are collectively known as The Stoics: a proposed network of three strategically located facilities at Cato (Fife), Rufus (East Ayrshire) and Aurelius (North Lanarkshire). Together, these projects are designed to help store, balance and optimise renewable electricity, while creating green digital infrastructure that can make better use of clean power and help reduce curtailment. A major milestone for the business came in 2023 with the sale of the 500MW Loch na Cathrach pumped storage hydro project to Statkraft, representing one of the most significant long-duration energy storage developments currently progressing in Europe. ILI is now progressing further nationally significant infrastructure, including the 900MW / 15-hour Balliemeanoch pumped storage hydro project, which is expected to achieve planning consent in 2026. Over their operational lifetime, ILI’s energy storage projects could enable more than 150 million tonnes of CO₂ savings, equivalent to the annual emissions of around 74 million UK cars, underlining the scale of environmental impact the company’s development model can deliver. Mark Wilson, CEO of ILI Group, said: “Being shortlisted for Green Business of the Year is a fantastic recognition of the work our team has been doing over many years. At ILI, our focus is on developing the infrastructure that allows renewable energy to work in practice –  ensuring it can be stored, balanced and used when it’s needed. That same approach now extends to green digital infrastructure through The Stoics, our proposed network of green hyperscale data centres, designed to support growing demand for AI and data while helping accelerate the transition to a lower-carbon electricity system. We’re a small team, but we’ve consistently delivered complex, nationally significant projects that attract major international investment. This nomination reflects both the scale of that impact and the importance of building the infrastructure needed for net zero.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals About the British Business Awards The British Business Awards celebrate businesses from across the UK, from major international companies to high-growth SMEs and family-owned firms. This year’s event at the Edinburgh International Conference Centre will include a special guest appearance from George Clooney, alongside keynote speaker Sir Bob Geldof and co-hosts Rob Brydon and Elaine C Smith. The awards will once again raise funds for Social Bite, with a target of helping raise more than £1 million for the homelessness charity. About ILI Group Intelligent Land Investments Group (ILI Group) is a Scottish clean energy and infrastructure developer with a portfolio of more than 4.1GW of energy storage and digital infrastructure projects, including 1.4GW of pumped storage hydro, 1.2GW of utility-scale battery storage, and 1.5GW of green hyperscale data centres through The Stoics. The company reached a major milestone with the sale of its first 500MW pumped storage hydro project, Loch na Cathrach at Loch Ness, to Statkraft, one of Europe’s largest renewable energy companies. The deal underlined ILI Group’s expertise in progressing complex, nationally significant infrastructure and its role in helping shape the UK’s clean energy and digital future.

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 multi-million-pound scheme to upgrade the Harrogate Convention Centre and strengthen its position as one of the UK’s leading conference venues has reached a significant milestone. The plans focus on transforming Studio Two to create large breakout conference rooms, enabling the venue to compete more effectively for national events and deliver wider economic benefits for the region. The reworked Studio Two would provide breakout facilities for about 1,200 delegates and is projected to generate an additional £1.7 million a year. Councillors are set to receive an update on the project, following completion of procurement, when members of the executive meet on Tuesday next week (17 March). Subject to approval, the council will award the construction contract, with building work potentially starting as early as this summer. The scheme is expected to cost around £9.4 million after final design refinements. The investment is forecast to be repaid within a decade through the extra income an enhanced venue can deliver. Council deputy leader, Cllr Gareth Dadd, whose responsibilities include property, said: “The Harrogate Convention Centre brings thousands of visitors to North Yorkshire every year and contributes more than £45 million for our economy through the retail and hospitality sectors. “It is a key economic driver which promotes both the town and North Yorkshire on a national stage. It is vital that it continues to play a leading role in the economic success of Harrogate and the wider region. “Developing Studio Two by creating larger breakout conference rooms to complement the existing 2,000-seater auditorium can ensure the venue stands alongside the very best centres of its kind in the country, competing in what is an extremely competitive market. “It can only strengthen the centre’s economic impact in the years ahead, while at the same time, allow us to reduce our subsidy and protect taxpayers’ money.” Built in 1982, the centre — the only facility of its kind in North Yorkshire — sits in the heart of Harrogate. It features one of the UK’s largest purpose-built auditoriums and offers 13,000 square metres of exhibition space. However, the absence of sizeable breakout rooms has limited its ability to host larger conferences that could bring substantial benefits to Harrogate and the wider area. Projections indicate that without this investment the council would need to provide an annual subsidy of around £1.1 million to keep the venue operational. Following local government reorganisation in 2023, consultancy firm 31Ten, which has extensive experience of the conference market, undertook a marketing exercise to identify future opportunities for the centre. In December 2024, the executive approved tendering for the most cost-effective option to redevelop Studio Two. The venue will also continue to host exhibitions, corporate events and live entertainment that provide a significant boost to the local economy. 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