A controversial proposal to expand a data center campus operated by Ark Data Centres in Wiltshire, UK, has been given conditional approval by local authorities today despite concerns about potential flooding.

These concerns, which were raised by local residents by way of a rebuttal, led Wiltshire Council to postpone its decision to today (February 10) after it assessed that there was inadequate time to evaluate the lengthy and technical document during its meeting last December.

This means that Ark will be able to construct an 18-meter-tall, 27,350 sqm (294,000 sq ft) data center on a land parcel in the town of Corsham at Westwell Roads, subject to several conditions about the project’s development.

The additional data center will be adjacent to Ark’s existing campus at Spring Park, which is situated adjacent to Wadswick Green, a retirement village.

Ark already operates five data centers at Spring Park. A sixth was approved in May 2024, and the planning application for this latest proposed extension would bring the total number to seven, was submitted in June 2024.

The company has been irked by delays that they perceive as an unnecessary prolongation of a lengthy 18-month process, and senior executives have publicly stated that Ark could take its business elsewhere.

“We do have a choice as to where to invest, and we can do so in other localities in the UK and overseas, with sites in London, Brussels, and Barcelona. But we fundamentally believe it’s important to continue to grow our investment in Corsham,” said Rob Sylvester, chief revenue officer, Ark.

But residents are adamant that the potential flood risk, the proposed data center’s proximity to Wadswick Green and other residential properties, and the impact on the local environment weigh against the location’s suitability as a data center site.

At the time of writing, more than 1,100 comments have been left on the planning application’s website, most of which oppose the proposal.

Founded in 2005, Ark has 27 data centers across nine sites in operation or development across the UK and Belgium, totaling more than 560MW. It operates data center campuses at Cody Park in Farnborough, Meridian Park in north London, and Spring Park in Wiltshire’s Corsham, with a number of projects under development, including Union Park and Alliance Park in west London.

Controlled by Elliott Investment Management with Revcap as a minority investor, Ark serves a number of UK government departments and agencies, and also has a joint venture with the Cabinet Office called Crown Hosting to provide colocation services to public sector bodies and government departments.