Latos Data Centres has won planning approval for the UK’s first “neural edge” AI data centre in the North East town of Stockton-on-Tees.
The £100m facility, to be built at Preston Farm Industrial Estate, will create a significant boost for the local economy and establish the region as a UK leader in digital infrastructure. Construction begins in Q4 2025 with operations commencing in early 2027. Latos is prioritising North-East suppliers and contractors in its tender processes and will contribute significantly to the primary and secondary employment markets, helping to stimulate the growth of the local digital economy.
Unlike traditional “cloud” data centres, neural edge facilities bring AI power closer to businesses and communities, cutting processing times from seconds to milliseconds. For businesses in the region, this means faster, easier access to cutting-edge AI, enabling capabilities like augmented reality, smart manufacturing, predictive healthcare and next-generation digital services.
The announcement comes as Stockton-on-Tees approaches the 200th anniversary of the world’s first passenger railway. Just as the Stockton to Darlington Railway transformed global trade and travel, Latos believes its new facility will put the town at the centre of a new transformative era.
“Stockton-on-Tees made history 200 years ago when it launched the railway age, transforming the world,” said Mike Carlin, CEO, Latos. “Today, we’re making history again by bringing the AI revolution to the same pioneering place. Just as the Stockton to Darlington Railway revolutionised how people lived and worked in the 19th century, the neural edge facilities we’re building today will have a similar effect, well into the 21st century.”
“We are grateful to Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council for its partnership and support to date. We’re looking forward to working closely with the Council as building works progress.”
The Stockton facility is the latest step in Latos’ plan to build 40 neural edge data centres across the UK by 2030. It follows the announcement of its major hyper-scale development in Cardiff and will form part of a distributed national network designed to keep the UK at the forefront of AI innovation.
Latos is Britain’s pioneering neural edge infrastructure company, with 30 years of heritage building critical digital infrastructure across the UK. The company specialises in distributed AI processing capabilities that deliver ultra-low latency inference while maintaining absolute data sovereignty. Latos’ neural edge strategy represents the next evolution in data centre design, bringing artificial intelligence capabilities directly to where data is created and consumed.
