US firm makes a start on its huge investment

IHE American company building a £10bn datacentre in Northumberland has unveiled a new programme aimed at tackling socioeconomic issues in the south east of the county.

- JAMES ROBINSON Local Democracy Reporter

A CGI rendering of what the QTS site at Cambois will look like when completed

The announcement from QTS comes as enabling works on the major scheme at Cambois are set to get under way, paving the way for construction work to start in earnest.

‘The company will invest in local people and the supply chain and will also provide funding and support to local community organisations.

Ata celebration event to mark the milestone yesterday, QTS bosses presented a cheque for £10,000 to Cambois Primary School and £5,000 to the Ashington Colliery Band following performances from the two groups.

Executive Vice President at QTS Stephanie Taylor said: “Today is a very special day because we're about to begin a very incredible project. We see it as the start of a partnership.

“We have the vision and the mission to make something truly unique in Northumberland. This is an inwards investment of £10bn in a state of the art facility - it’s daunting, it's one of the biggest inward investments the UK has ever seen, but this is so much more than a datacentre.

“It's an opportunity to bring employment, training, and skills to build a workforce that is local, that really represents and supports the community. We will go above and beyond.

“Our social value programme is a reflection of our commitment to the North East. We're incredibly proud to be here and we really can’t wait to get started. We're doing this before we have even started construction because we want to be part of the community. We don’t want to be someone who just comes, does a job and leaves.