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£150m Data Centre Approved
Skelton Group Investments has been granted planning permission for a £150m data centre at its Twinwoods Business Park just to the north-east of Bedford. Most famous perhaps for its former airfield being the departure point of Glenn Miller's ill-fated final flight, Twinwoods also hosts a business park that has exceptional power capacity, ideal for data centre facilities, reflecting its MoD research history. The data centre will be developed by TRE Global UK, a subsidiary of a leading US-based data centre company. The centre will directly employ 50 people, with more in support services, and will hopefully attract other high tech businesses to Twinwoods which is home amongst others to a Red Bull Racing Team research centre and the Bodyflight adrenalin leisure facility.
Contact: Daniel Chapman, Managing Director
Skelton Group Investment
Tel: +44 (0) 20 7758 9990
Email: danielchapman@skeltongroup.com
Web: www.skeltongroup.com
News in Brief
Colworth Science Park Moves Forward
Exciting new developments at Colworth Science Park start on site this autumn. These will see a new Innovation Centre and a state-of-the-art Discovery Centre, both very much focussed on open innovation. With Cambridge and Cranfield Universities plus the Institute for Food Research establishing a presence on the site as part of the project, the new (and existing) accommodation will provide top quality space for continuing growth in the number of knowledge based businesses on site where the anchor presence is Unilever's food, health and wellness research facility.
Contact: Dr Sally Ann Forsyth, Goodman
Tel: +44 (0) 1234 222441
Email: sallyann.forsyth@goodman.com
Web: www.colworthpark.com
A421 Innovation Corridor - Development Prospects Crystallising
With the dualling of the final sections of the A421 between the M1 and the A1 just south of Bedford moving forward (see picture), the exciting development prospects of this corridor are crystallizing.
A number of sites for business along the corridor have already seen some take up (such as GPark, Cross Park, Wixams Business Area and Interchange Park - all just south of Bedford). Others are expected to soon and more sites along the corridor will be in prospect later this year/early next as local planning processes move forward. These developments could ultimately more than double the current business area footprint of the corridor taking it up to around 500 hectares.
Contact: Paul Vann
Bedford Borough Council
Tel: +44 (0) 1234 228064
Email: paul.vann@bedford.gov.uk
Web: www.bedford.gov.uk
Castle Quay Commercial Interest
Strong interest has been shown in the retail units of the recently completed Castle Quay development with all but one of eight having terms agreed and moving through to completion. Led by developers Complex Development Projects, with architect Burrell Foley Fischer and contractor SDC of Bedford, this £20m mixed use development won a top award at the 2009 Homes and Communities Agency Academy Awards.
Contact: Patrick Lyons
Bedford Borough Council
Tel: +44 (0) 1234 227296
Email: patrick.lyons@bedford.gov.uk
Web: www.bedford.gov.uk
Bedford Brewing Nicely
Famous for its brewing and pubs, Bedford's Wells and Youngs Brewing Company and Charles Wells Pub Company are going from strength to strength with Gold and Grand Gold awards for Wells Bombardier, Young's Special London Ale and Cobra Beer, a further 31 tenanted pubs recently acquired and the unprecedented double accolade of Pub Company of the Year and Tenanted/Leased Pub of the Year (The White Horse in Bedford) at The Publican Awards (the ‘Oscars' of the national pub trade).
Contact: Joanna Dring
Wells and Youngs
Tel: +44 (0) 1234 272766
Email: joanna.dring@wellsandyoungs.co.uk
Web: www.wellsandyoungs.co.uk