Harworth enters exclusivity with unnamed data centre provider for second hyperscale powered land sale in UK

Harworth Group announced on 19 August 2026 that it has entered into an exclusivity agreement with an unnamed "leading data centre provider" for a powered land sale at a second hyperscale site in its UK portfolio^[1]. The location was not disclosed. The move follows the Rotherham-based regeneration specialist's 5 August 2026 announcement that it was in advanced negotiations over the same site^[1].

The deal and the site

The site carries an accepted power connection offer and "excellent planning prospects," the company said. No capacity figure for the new site was published in isolation, but the Skelton Grange site and the proposed new transaction together total 400 MW of current accepted connection capacity, with the "prospect of securing higher power capacity."

Harworth's first hyperscale transaction was the £106 million two-plot powered land sale at Skelton Grange in Leeds to Microsoft, which included a development agreement for enabling works^[1]. That deal is progressing towards completion.

The wider pipeline

Alongside the exclusivity announcement, Harworth disclosed the full shape of its powered land bank^[1]. The six-site pipeline breaks down as follows:

• Sites 1 and 2 (Skelton Grange and the new exclusivity site): accepted connection offers totalling 400 MW, with scope for higher capacity
• Sites 3 and 4: two further sites with accepted connection offers totalling 400 MW
• Site 5: a written indication of a 100 MW connection offer, with a formal offer expected in due course
• Site 6: anticipated power availability assessed as sufficient to support a hyperscale data centre

All six sites are owned freehold by Harworth, controlled through options or held in partnerships, and all but one are already progressing through the planning system, with stakeholder engagement underway on the final one.

Harworth has also identified opportunities for smaller digital infrastructure developments across its portfolio, including sites targeting colocation and edge data centre providers.

Portfolio position

Harworth owns and manages a portfolio of more than 15,000 acres across more than 100 sites in the North of England and the Midlands, having developed industrial sites across Leeds, Liverpool, Bolton, Sheffield, and Northampton. The company's model is to sell powered land rather than develop and operate data centres itself - a capital-light approach that crystallises value from grid-connected sites without taking on construction or operational risk^[1].

CEO Lynda Shillaw said the company has "in-house expertise in planning, power, servicing, and deal execution" and described the land portfolio as "irreplicable."

What to watch

The buyer's identity and the site location are the two outstanding unknowns. Harworth has flagged that conditional land sales across the remaining pipeline are being targeted in both the near and medium term^[1], so further announcements are likely before year-end. The pace at which the remaining four sites clear planning and secure formal connection offers will determine whether the full 1 GW-plus pipeline converts from potential to contracted capacity.