£600m 'data farm' moves forward

IVI hopes to build the data farm near Ecclefechan

A multi-million pound data centre plan in the south of Scotland has moved a step closer.

Internet Villages International (IVI) has submitted a proposal of application notice for its scheme near Ecclefechan to Dumfries and Galloway Council.

It could pave the way for a planning application to be made for the project which promises a large number of jobs.

Earlier this year Lockerbie Data Centres (LDC) lodged a "masterplan" for a similar development on a nearby site.

IVI unveiled its plans for southern Scotland in December 2007.

In June this year power and cooling systems firm APC by Schneider Electrical announced its business support for the project.

Now the proposal for application notice has been submitted which confirms the firm's intention to take the scheme forward.

Another bid to construct a data centre in south west Scotland has also been lodged with Dumfries and Galloway Council.

LDC submitted an outline application for a development at Peelhouses Farm near Lockerbie in March this year.