APPROVED AI DATA CENTRE WILL CREATE 150 NEW JOBS

A £100m data centre for Stockton has been approved bringing with it 150 jobs and an extra 400 in the supply chain.

- By FELICITY COLLINSON

Teesside firm Latos has secured planning approval for the UK’s first “neural edge” AI data centre in the town.

The business says this will establish Stockton as “the launchpad for Britain's next industrial revolution”.

The £100m facility, to be built near Westland Way on Preston Farm Industrial Estate near Thornaby and Oxbridge, will create a boost for the local economy and establish the region as a UK leader in digital infrastructure, bosses say.

Construction will begin later this year, with operations starting in early 2027.

Latos is prioritising North-East suppliers and contractors in its tender processes and will contribute significantly to the primary and secondary employment markets.