Fast connections

SO Stirling Schofield have gained planning sub-committee approval for a data campus on Lindley Moor and Alastair Flatman, a spokesman for the developers, said the development would be a ‘significant catalyst for jobs’.

I actually hope he said a lot more than that, because I don’t really know what this means.

Presumably though this is still music to the ears of a council making cuts.

The proposal is for a data campus where firms will house their servers. They obviously need a greenfield site close to motorway junctions to achieve this.

Taking the location first, has anyone noted it is slap bang in the middle of the routes between Calderdale and Huddersfield hospitals?

These routes needs to be as clear as possible for emergency transfers, not clogged with extra traffic.

If my firm were looking to relocate its server, we would surely look to an area which is served by the fastest broadband, as are the first two towns to get 100mb, Bournemouth and Dundee.

H2O Networks are installing this around Sheffield but this firm has no plans for a similar system around Huddersfield.

I trust the planning department has researched this a lot more thoroughly than I have and know more than I do.

One plausible scenario is that the area is developed and the internet firms do not go there.

An industrial site beside a motorway is always a popular location for the distribution of goods. Asda and Morrisons are quite close but Tesco are a little further afield in Doncaster.

Perhaps developers could turn it into a giant fridge? At least it would create a few jobs for local folk. They could look after all the tripe being put forward.

Tony Gaunt

Mount