Private prototype. Facts from research on 2 to 3 October 2026; not yet reviewed for publication. Forms do not submit.

All schemes

Approved - but it's not overYorkshire and the Humber, England

Skelton Grange data centre campus (Microsoft / Harworth)

Leeds councillors on the North and East Plans Panel resolved on 23 April 2026 to approve the hybrid application, with final sign-off delegated to the Chief Planning Officer subject to conditions and a completed s106 agreement. I could not confirm that the s106 has been signed or a decision notice issued, so it is treated as resolution to grant even though much press says 'approved'. [S1] [S4] [S7] [S8]

Key facts

Status
Approved - but it's not over (resolution to grant) [S1] [S4] [S7] [S8]
Decided by
Leeds City Council (North and East Plans Panel resolved; final sign-off delegated to the Chief Planning Officer) [S4] [S7]
Applicant
Microsoft (land bought from Harworth Group); applicant entity not captured [S1] [S6]
Developer or backer
Harworth Group (landowner and seller; retains c.16 acres)
End user (reported)
Microsoft
References
25/06139/FU
Location
Former Skelton Grange power station land on the north-east bank of the River Aire, Stourton, south-east Leeds, accessed via Skelton Grange Road; close to the M1 and next to the TCV Skelton Grange Environment Centre. [S1] [S4] [S6]
Site area
26.3 ha [S1] [S6] [S10] [S13]
Buildings
3 data centre buildings (Harworth: three halls plus auxiliary buildings) [S1] [S6] [S10] [S13]
Investment (claimed)
About 4 billion pounds inward investment, claimed by Harworth; about 107 million pounds land deal (press) [S1] [S6] [S10] [S13]
On-site generation
Generators and cooling equipment would need to be installed (press summary of officer report); numbers not found [S4] [S8] [S12] [S2]
Cooling and water
Microsoft says the facility would be air cooled for more than 95 per cent of the time. Campaigners cite c.22.84 million litres a year and a 10 L/s Yorkshire Water demand (and, in a different document, 2 million litres a day); not verified against the application. [S4] [S8] [S12] [S2]
Previous use
Former Skelton Grange coal power station site (brownfield) [S4] [S12]
Public objections
993 [S2] [S8] [S9] [S14] [S15]

Timeline

  1. 30 June 2024
    Microsoft exchanged contracts to buy c.48 acres at Skelton Grange from Harworth (month given as June 2024; day not stated). Land deal reported at about 107 million pounds. [S1] [S6] [S10]
  2. 11 June 2025
    Public consultation held 11-12 June 2025 (per YEP). [S8]
  3. 31 October 2025
    Application 25/06139/FU submitted (month October 2025 per YEP; exact day not found). [S8]
  4. 23 April 2026
    North and East Plans Panel meeting: resolution to approve, delegated to the Chief Planning Officer subject to conditions and legal agreement. Reported as unanimous. [S4] [S6] [S10]
  5. 27 April 2026
    Harworth announces 'resolution to grant' and says completion of a s106 agreement is required. [S1]
  6. 13 July 2026
    38 Degrees petition against the scheme started by No Leeds Datacentre (formed June 2026). [S3] [S8]
  7. 3 September 2026
    11 Leeds Green Party councillors publish a statement opposing the scheme. [S9]
  8. 12 September 2026
    National Datacentre Day protest at Millennium Square, Leeds (300+ per campaign; about 250 per YEP). [S5] [S11]

Politicians and organisations

  • Leeds Green Party (11 councillors) oppose, statement 2026-09-03
  • Rachel Reeves MP reply (2026-08-09) supports the project while acknowledging environmental concerns
  • Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire, defends the scheme (YEP, 2026-09-30)
  • No Leeds Datacentre (local group)
  • Global Action Plan (quoted in local coverage)

Claims

Claims by developers, campaigners or councils, recorded as claims and not checked as fact.

  • Harworth Group (developer): About 4 billion pounds inward investment on completion [S1]
  • As reported by Industrialised Construction (attribution to Harworth/Microsoft not stated in the text I saw) (developer): About 740 construction jobs over c.6 years and over 350 permanent roles once operational [S10]
  • Microsoft spokesperson (developer): Facility air cooled for more than 95 per cent of the time [S8]
  • No Leeds Datacentre (reading of application documents; not independently checked) (campaigners): 207 jobs created, only 89 regional; lifetime carbon about 200 million tonnes; biodiversity net loss -72.12% habitats and -55% hedgerows; lighting 20-50 lux; water 22.84 million litres a year [S12] [S2]
  • Rachel Reeves MP, in a reply quoted by the campaign group (other): Development can proceed with strong planning obligations and vigilant oversight [S2]

Campaigns

Sources

  1. [S1] Harworth and Microsoft receive resolution to grant planning consent for hyperscale data centre and I&L space at Skelton Grange, Leeds. Harworth Group, 27 April 2026. Level 3 source.
  2. [S2] Another MP response. No Leeds Datacentre, 9 August 2026. Level 6 source.
  3. [S3] Prevent construction of Microsoft Hyperscale Datacentres in Leeds (petition). 38 Degrees, 29 July 2026. Level 6 source.
  4. [S4] Stourton data centre plan set to go ahead. South Leeds Life, 24 April 2026. Level 4 source.
  5. [S5] noleedsdatacentre (home page and posts, Sep 2026). No Leeds Datacentre, 15 September 2026. Level 6 source.
  6. [S6] Microsoft gets the go-ahead. Place Yorkshire, 24 April 2026. Level 4 source.
  7. [S7] 25/06139/FU (Leeds public access case page; not readable, reference confirmed from search listing). Leeds City Council. Level 1 source.
  8. [S8] Fast-growing petition protesting proposed Microsoft AI datacentres in Leeds nears 40k signatures. Yorkshire Evening Post, 21 August 2026. Level 4 source.
  9. [S9] Leeds Green Party statement on Skelton Grange data centre. Leeds Green Party, 3 September 2026. Level 6 source.
  10. [S10] Microsoft data campus clears planning in Leeds. Industrialised Construction, 5 May 2026. Level 4 source.
  11. [S11] 'It makes economic sense': Mayor defends 4bn pound Microsoft data centre in Leeds. Yorkshire Evening Post, 30 September 2026. Level 4 source.
  12. [S12] What we know so far. No Leeds Datacentre. Level 6 source.
  13. [S13] Skelton Grange, Leeds - UK data centre project profile. AI Energy Intelligence (tracker). Level 7 source.
  14. [S14] Residents raise concerns over Skelton AI datacentres. East Side Story, 27 July 2026. Level 4 source.
  15. [S15] City centre protest after more than 42,000 sign petition against massive development (search listing only). Yahoo News UK. Level 4 source.