Plans revealed for city’s new data centre
Lewis Smith, Local Democracy Reporter
Plans to turn a 900 space park and ride facility on the outskirts of a south Wales city into a new data centre campus have been revealed as part of a public consultation.
The plans could see the Cardiff East Park and Ride located at Eastern Avenue Llanrumney cleared to make way for the data centre along with ancillary buildings, extensive landscaping, and enhancements to public open space if eventually approved by council bosses.
The proposed development by Curtis Hall LTD could also see the creation of a new roundabout and bridge relief road linking the A48 Eastern Avenue with Llanrumney.
A data centre is a physical facility used to store, process, and manage large amounts of data for a range of digital services such as online banking, video streaming, cloud services, and AI.
The facility could be built in an area that comprises around 23.4ha of land where it is accessed from the A48, Eastern Avenue.
It currently includes 900 parking spaces, bus drop-off and pick-up points, and an office amenity building.
Application documents say the public bus service for the park and ride was withdrawn in January 2023 due to what it described as ” low demand and budgeting restrictions.”
They come almost two years after a previous planning application was granted by Cardiff Council for the site to build a new relief road and business park.
The latest proposal reads: “The proposed development comprises a data centre campus and associated infrastructure, alongside the construction of a new road, roundabout and vehicular bridge crossing the Rhymney River, as well as open space and ecological enhancements.”
It added: “The proposal would deliver a number of economic, environment
and social benefits, including a new bridge connecting the site with Pentwyn and Llanrumney, and providing local jobs through the construction and operation of the site.”
Plans say the number of jobs could be”significant” during the construction and occupation stages of the development, with over 500 construction employment jobs and up to 125 jobs during the operational phase.
A consultation website for the plans is now available online with any comments on the proposals expected to be made by January 4, 2026.
It comes just months after a separate application was approved for a massive data centre campus at the former Ford engine factory in Bridgend County Borough.
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Not sure about the low demand for the park and ride. Always looked packed. Most likely budgeting restrictions on the council. Vaughan and the waste debacle leading to the tax fine imposed on the council has not been very kind to the Cardiff residents.
Park and rides should be available at railway stations on all sides of the city centre. Switching from a car to a bus that gets stuck in the same congestion isn’t close to hopping onto a train that whisks you into the centre in 7 minutes.