ANS plans 20,000 sq ft data centre at Sharp Project

ANS Group has been selected as the data centre tenant for a 20,000 sq ft space at The Sharp Project, in east Manchester.

The Manchester company also has the option to take an additional 20,000 sq ft space, enough to give it a 1,600-rack facility.

The boom in cloud computing – where data is stored remotely on the internet – has driven demand for data centres which store numerous racks of computer servers.

A six megawatt power supply combined with powerful internet connectivity through its own fibre means it is a desirable location for data centre businesses.

Agent CBRE started the search last year for a data tenant at the 250,000 sq ft facility which is home to more than 50 companies specialising in digital media production. It also has four sound stages used by TV drama and film producers.

The 15-year lease on the data centre space, underneath the largest sound stage, is part of Sharp’s move to self-sufficiency following a three-year start-up period backed with public cash. The announcement follows a deal which will see an unnamed global tech firm setting up a European base at Sharp.

ANS Group, founded by Scott Fletcher whose father worked at the site when it was a Sharp Electronics warehouse, plans to invest £8m over the next three years. The site will house various services including its cloud computing infrastructure, and data back-up. Businesses will be able to hire basic rack space or a managed computer infrastructure.

Mr Fletcher, ANS chairman, said: “It’s been a fantastic year at ANS and this is a significant milestone in our history. We are delighted to be building this state of the art facility which will take advantage of all the latest technology, such as fresh air cooling and offering high density racks in the most efficient way possible.”

Sue Woodward, Sharp Project director, said: “This facility will be available to any organisation from any sector that has a requirement to store computer and telecommunications hardware off-site to ensure their business, which is reliant on technology, is resilient.”

Manchester-based Sudlows will build the facility and should have it finished by March.