Innova unveils 60ha Little Bollington data centre campus, Altrincham 2026

Key Points

• Developer Innova has announced plans for the Spodegreen Data Centre, which will be a campus-type development on an area of about 60 hectares in Little Bollington.
• The site is located to the south of Lymm Road, to the north of the M56, and to the west of the A556. The site is in the territory of Cheshire East but has a post code of Altrincham.
• It will involve several data halls, offices, security buildings, power supply, backup power, and a district heating energy centre.
• Some of the renewable aspects will involve a solar farm, roof-mounted solar arrays, solar canopy parking structures, and a “Living Lab” for STEM activities.
• According to Innova, the running campus could provide 350 full-time positions and contribute to £20 million worth of business rate revenue for Cheshire East Council.
• Innovative features include a hybrid air and closed-loop water cooling system with investigations ongoing on waste heat reuse through a local heat network.
• This project is characterised as being “landscape-led,” with retained trees and hedgerows, planted woodland, wildlife areas, and green buffer zones.
• Various surveys and environmental assessments are currently underway, with a planning application anticipated in 2026/27.

Altrincham (Manchester Mirror) September 23, 2026 – Plans have been unveiled for a major new data centre campus covering approximately 60 hectares of land in Little Bollington, with developer Innova proposing the Spodegreen Data Centre on land south of Lymm Road, immediately north of the M56 and west of the A556. As reported by David Prior of Altrincham Today, the site falls administratively within Cheshire East, carries an Altrincham postal address and lies within a mile of the Swan with Two Nicks.

The emerging proposals outline a campus‑style development designed to host multiple data centre operators, with data halls for servers and related equipment, offices, security buildings, electricity infrastructure and backup power generation. Alongside core data centre facilities, the plans include a district heating energy centre, an educational facility branded as a “Living Lab”, a solar farm, rooftop solar panels and solar canopies over sections of the site’s car parks. Large areas of landscaping and green infrastructure are proposed across the roughly 60‑hectare site.

How big is the proposed Spodegreen Data Centre site?

The Spodegreen Data Centre is planned for around 60 hectares of land in Little Bollington, with the proposed boundary shown by red lines on indicative maps shared by the developer. Innova says the scale is intended to accommodate a multi‑operator campus, rather than a single standalone facility, allowing several data centre businesses to locate within one master‑planned development.

The site’s location places it close to major transport corridors, with main access intended via existing junctions from Lymm Road and Chester Road, and a secondary access further west along Lymm Road reserved for essential circumstances only. Innova has already submitted the site for consideration as part of Cheshire East Council’s emerging Local Plan, including its call for sites consultation earlier this year.

What facilities and technology are included in the plans?

According to details set out by Innova and reported by Altrincham Today, the Spodegreen proposals include data halls to house servers and other infrastructure, together with offices, security buildings, electricity infrastructure and backup power generation. A district heating energy centre is also part of the scheme, alongside an educational facility described as a “Living Lab” intended to support training and STEM outreach.

On the energy side, a solar array is proposed on land to the west of Coe Lane, complemented by rooftop solar panels and solar canopies over parts of the car parks. Innova states that the solar farm would generate the equivalent amount of electricity required by the district heating energy centre, offices and Living Lab, while the car park canopies would help provide power for electric vehicle charging. The data centre itself would connect directly to the local electricity grid.

How will the data centre be cooled and could heat be reused?

Data centres generate substantial quantities of heat and require cooling systems to keep equipment operating within safe limits. The Spodegreen proposals envisage a hybrid air and closed‑loop water cooling system, which Innova says would keep water consumption to a minimum.

One element under investigation is whether heat generated by the data centre could be captured and put to use elsewhere. The developer is assessing whether waste heat could be used by nearby businesses or other properties through a local heat network, with heat also potentially used within the site’s offices and Living Lab.

What economic and employment benefits are claimed?

Innova says its Spodegreen development is expected to support approximately 350 full‑time jobs once the campus is operational, as well as creating opportunities for businesses and suppliers across Cheshire and Greater Manchester. The company estimates the completed development could generate around £20 million in additional business rates for Cheshire East Council.

The “Living Lab” is proposed to provide training space for staff and apprentices, as well as hosting teaching days and STEM events intended to encourage young people into technology, construction and environmental careers. Innova says it intends to work with colleges and universities in the region to develop apprenticeship and training opportunities linked to the project.

How will landscaping and access be handled?

The developer describes the scheme as “landscape‑led”, with existing trees and hedgerows retained and enhanced where possible. Plans include new woodland and wildlife habitats, as well as substantial green buffers around the development.

The main entrance would use existing access from Lymm Road and Chester Road, with a secondary access further west along Lymm Road intended only for essential circumstances. Site surveys and environmental assessments are now taking place and will help determine the final design ahead of a planning application.

When will planning be submitted and how can residents comment?

A planning application is currently expected to be submitted to Cheshire East Council during 2026/27, following completion of site surveys and environmental assessments. Residents will get their first opportunity to see the plans at a public consultation event next Wednesday (30 September), taking place at High Legh Village Hall, West Lane, Knutsford, from 4pm until 8pm.

Innova says the event will allow people to learn more about the development, see the initial proposals and provide feedback before the plans are finalised. The developer is also exploring the creation of a Community Benefit Fund and is asking residents for views about how money from such a fund could be used locally. A second public event is planned for the winter, when more detailed proposals and the results of environmental surveys are expected to be presented. The wider public consultation is running through September and October, with people able to comment by emailing contact@spodegreendc.com or calling 0800 707 4103.

Background to the Little Bollington data centre development

Data centres house the servers and other infrastructure used to store and process the enormous quantities of information required for services including websites, apps, cloud computing, streaming, online banking and public services. Demand for such facilities has increased rapidly as the use of cloud computing and artificial intelligence has grown, while the UK Government designated data centres as Critical National Infrastructure in 2024.

Against that backdrop, multiple large data centre proposals have emerged across the UK and beyond, with recent reporting highlighting a surge in hyperscale AI‑linked facilities and tighter environmental scrutiny in some areas, including new rules in Scotland requiring Environmental Impact Assessments for data centres above 50MW and a pause on certain hyperscale decisions pending national guidance. The Spodegreen proposal in Little Bollington sits within this wider context of rising demand for digital infrastructure and increasing attention to energy use, cooling, heat reuse and landscape impacts.

Prediction: how could this development affect local residents and businesses?

If the Spodegreen Data Centre proceeds as outlined, local residents and businesses in Little Bollington and surrounding parts of Cheshire East and Greater Manchester could see several effects. On the economic side, Innova’s estimate of around 350 full‑time jobs and up to £20 million in additional business rates could support local employment and council services, while supply contracts and the “Living Lab” could create training and apprenticeship pathways for people in the area.

At the same time, a 60‑hectare industrial‑style campus will alter the character of a largely rural site, with implications for traffic, construction activity, visual impact and ecological change, even with proposed green buffers and habitat creation. The outcome of the public consultation, the detail of the environmental assessments and the final design of cooling, heat‑reuse and landscaping measures are likely to shape how strongly the development is felt by nearby households, farms and small businesses over the coming years.