Green light given for massive €286m business park in Kildare

An appeal lodged with An Bord Pleanála has upheld Kildare County Council's decision to grant planning permission for a €286m project at the Kildare Innovation Development, Leixlip, Co Kildare.

Kildare Innovation Campus (KIC) (formerly known as the Hewlett Packard Campus), Barnhall Road, Leixlip, includes lands within the M4 and Barnhall Meadows.

The overall development site includes lands in the ownership of Kildare County Council (c 1.93ha)

On the January 3 2025 an appeal that was lodged with An Bord Pleanála upheld Kildare County Council’s decision to grant planning permission to the project.

On December 23 2024, works were underway for the construction of a new Client Control Building (KIC 110kV Substation - CCB Building) to service a new data centre within Kildare Innovation Campus (H&MV Engineering - Civil Contractor)

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Construction Information Services (CIS) understands that a further 3,000 permanent jobs are expected to be created upon completion of the project.

On October 3 2023 an appeal was lodged with An Bord Pleanála against Kildare County Council's decision to grant planning permission for Davy Platform ICAV The Davy Platform ICAV for and on behalf of the Liffey Sub-Fund for - demolition of existing buildings no’s 7, 8 and 9 (total gfa c. 84,838sqm). - existing buildings no’s 1 – 6 will be retained for deep tech and innovation related uses (total gfa c. 42,862sqm) - construction of two new deep tech buildings and four new data centre buildings, all including ancillary office spaces. (An Bord Pleanála Ref: 318151)

The deep tech buildings will have an overall maximum height of c.16m and vary in size from 30,945sqm – 41,190sqm with a combined total gfa of c. 72,135 sqm.

The data centres will be c.15 m in height to parapet and c.16.5m in height to top of roof plant screening.

The data centres will vary in size from 13,225 sqm – 21,000 sqm with a combined total gfa of c. 76,225sqm.

All buildings will be provided with solar pv panels at roof level and green walls along selected elevations. - the new deep tech buildings (a1 & a2) will be provided with service yard areas, loading docks, car parking, access roads, security fencing/gates and landscaping. the deep tech buildings will include rainwater harvesting tanks and green roofs over office areas. - each data centre (b1, c1, c2 & c3) will include data halls, admin blocks (comprising offices, breakroom, loading dock, storage, and ancillary areas) and a variety of mechanical and electrical plant areas/structures including battery storage rooms and mechanical rooms.

Car parking, access roads, security fencing/gates, gate houses and landscaping will also be provided. - b1 will include 14 fuel oil generators, mv rooms and associated mechanical flues.
C1 – c3 will each include 22 no. fuel oil generators, mv rooms and associated mechanical flues (each c.18.6m high). car parking, access roads, security fencing/gates, gate houses and landscaping will also be provided. - two district heating pump house areas and inground piping for district heating system. - construction of a replacement 110kv gas insulated switchgear (gis) substation adjacent to the existing 110kv rinawade substation.

The current air insulated switchgear (ais) substation known as the rinawade 110kv sub is fed by two 110kv overhead lines.

The new substation will connect to these overhead lines via short runs of underground cable.

The replacement 110kv substation will include 6 no. transformers, with client control building and a 2 storey gis substation building within a 2.4m high fenced compound. - decommissioning and removal of the existing 110kv rinawade substation.