A developer behind a long-stalled business park in Norwich is shifting its strategy to accommodate a major data centre project, signaling a potential boost for the UK’s digital infrastructure in a region with a limited data centre footprint. The planned facility, with a capacity of 150MW, would represent a significant addition to the East of England’s data centre market, which currently remains small outside of London.

Norwich Apex Ltd, the company behind the Apex Business Park, is preparing to submit a planning application in the coming weeks to repurpose the site for data centre use. The company secured initial planning permission from South Norfolk Council in 2018 for a business park on 13 hectares of land off Ipswich Road in Norwich, but construction has yet to begin. The revised plans now call for a two-story data centre building, a substation, and a three-story office block.

The pivot toward data centre development was driven by a major nearby energy project. In 2024, Ørsted announced that the 2.9GW onshore converter for the Hornsea 3 offshore windfarm would be located adjacent to the site, providing a significant and sustainable power source. This development made the location increasingly attractive for energy-intensive data centre operations.

Matt Bartram, managing director of Norwich Apex Ltd, said the company is “delighted to bring forward these proposals for a modern, efficient and sustainable piece of digital infrastructure.” He added that the goal is “to create a facility that not only supports the UK’s growing demand for data and connectivity but also responds sensitively to its surroundings through careful design, landscaping and environmental consideration and helps to drive economic growth in the wider Norwich area.”

While full technical specifications have not been disclosed, the project is reportedly planned for a 150MW capacity. Executives at Norwich Apex also have ties to modular housebuilder Future-Built, though the nature of that relationship remains unclear. According to Data centre Map, Norwich currently hosts only two data centres, operated by NorwichDC and FreeClix, along with facilities run by the local county council and a university hospital. Another data centre is also planned for the Norwich Research Park, indicating a slow but growing interest in the region.

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