Slate Island Developments Ltd has applied to the council for planning permission in principle for the development located in Spango Valley, off Inverkip Road.

In 1954, IBM opened its Spango Valley operation. The facility closed in 2017, and the buildings were demolished in 2020.

Slate Island Developments is now looking to regenerate part of the former technology and industrial site for the purpose of modern digital infrastructure.

The indicative proposals include four data centre buildings facilitating roughly 80,000 square metres of floorspace, as well as landscaping, parking and sustainable drainage infrastructure. 

Most of the existing woodland, especially around the site boundaries, would be retained. 

The Scottish Government has acknowledged the strategic significance of data centres to Scotland’s digital economy and their capacity to aid regional economic development.

A spokesperson for Slate Island Developments Ltd 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.

“Data centres are becoming an increasingly important part of the infrastructure underpinning our economy, supporting everything from everyday digital services to cloud computing and artificial intelligence.”

The spokesperson added: “Scotland is exceptionally well placed to benefit from this rapidly growing sector, with the Scottish Government recognising the strategic importance of green data centres to our future economy.”

Since the summer of last year, the applicant has been engaging with Inverclyde Council alongside community consultation such as two public exhibitions, two online events and engagement with Wemyss Bay Community Council.

Should planning permission in principle be approved, additional applications would determine the development’s detailed design.