Microsoft to fund new cycle and walking paths as part of data centre deal

Nicholas Thomas Local Democracy Reporter

Microsoft has agreed to pay Newport Council £104,000 for cycle paths and walking routes on the city’s outskirts.

The sum forms part of a planning deal that allows the tech giant to build a data centre in Celtic Way.

The new business, on the site of the former Quinn Radiators factory, will create a reported 120 jobs.

Permission

Councillors granted planning permission for the data centre in July, and the local authority has now signed an agreement with Microsoft for the investment in walking and cycling infrastructure.

The so-called Section 106 agreement is a common feature of deals for new developments, and are typically offered by applicants as incentives for planning permission.

Applications involving new homes will usually contain a Section 106 commitment for the developer to contribute to affordable housing locally, either by building a certain number of affordable units on site, or by paying the council money to provide homes elsewhere.

In this case, the agreement with Microsoft was to fund travel infrastructure.

“Nice”

The council will have five years to set out how it will spend the money on providing or improving local cycling and pedestrian links, or it will have to pay back the £104,000.

Members of Newport City Council’s planning committee were enthusiastic about the arrival of Microsoft when they granted permission for the new data centre in the summer.

One committee member, Cllr Trevor Watkins, told colleagues at the time it was “nice to see a worldwide company coming to the area”.