Data centre plans submitted for former IBM site in Scotland
Four-building scheme would bring 80,000 sq m of digital infrastructure to Greenock
2 September 2026
Plans have been submitted to redevelop part of IBM’s former Spango Valley site in Greenock with an 80,000 sq m data centre campus.
Slate Island Developments Ltd has applied to Inverclyde Council for Planning Permission in Principle for the project, which would bring a major technology use back to the brownfield site almost a decade after IBM ended operations there.
Indicative proposals show four data centre buildings alongside parking, landscaping and sustainable drainage infrastructure. The majority of existing woodland, particularly around the site's boundaries, would be retained. The development would also form part of a wider project incorporating a separately proposed Battery Energy Storage System (BESS).
IBM established its Spango Valley operation in 1954 and maintained a presence at the site for more than 60 years. The facility closed in 2017 and its buildings were demolished in 2020, leaving substantial areas of previously developed land available for regeneration.
Slate Island Developments is now seeking to reposition part of the former industrial and technology campus for digital infrastructure, with the site's scale among the factors supporting its proposed use as a data centre location.
The application comes amid rapidly increasing interest in data centre development as demand grows for cloud computing, online services and artificial intelligence infrastructure. Scotland is seeking to capture a greater share of that investment, with its renewable energy resources, digital connectivity and relatively cool climate among the factors supporting its potential as a data centre location.
The Scottish Government has also identified data centres as strategically important to the country's digital economy and a potential source of regional economic development. For Inverclyde, the proposals would return a substantial part of a long-vacant employment site to commercial use, with economic activity expected through construction, supply chains and the operation of the facilities.
A spokesperson for Slate Island Developments said: “Spango Valley has a proud history as a centre for technology and employment in Inverclyde, and these proposals offer an exciting opportunity to open a new chapter for this important site.
“There is now strong interest from the data centre sector, providing a real opportunity to bring this long-vacant brownfield site back into productive use."
The potential inclusion of battery storage alongside the development also highlights the increasingly close relationship between data centre investment and energy infrastructure. Large data centres can require substantial and reliable electricity supplies, making access to power an important consideration in the selection and development of new sites.
The spokesperson added: “For Greenock, this is an opportunity to bring technology and investment back to a site synonymous with both for generations, while securing a sustainable and deliverable future for Spango Valley.”
Slate Island Developments has been engaging with Inverclyde Council since summer 2025 and has undertaken community consultation including two public exhibitions, two online events and discussions with Wemyss Bay Community Council. The current application seeks permission for the principle of development rather than its final design.
If approved, subsequent applications would establish details including the final footprints and heights of the data centre buildings and the materials used in their construction.
