A former pottery building will be turned into a cutting edge AI data centre – with its surplus heat being used to warm nearby buildings. The proposed data centre and its heat recovery system, which could save 10,500 tonnes of carbon over its lifetime, will be part of the latest phase of the Potbank development, at the Spode site in Stoke.

The plans for buildings 4A and 4B at Spode will also include two new 'createch' offices, an events space for up to 500 people and nine serviced apartments, and could create up to 50 jobs. While most of the Potbank development has been privately funded, the latest phases have been awarded £2.06 million from Stoke-on-Trent's Levelling Up Fund allocation.

Spode Works Regeneration Ltd (SWRL) and GreenWeaver AI Ltd have submitted a planning application for the proposed change of use of the buildings to Stoke-on-Trent City Council. According to the application, the new AI data centre will represent a 'step-change for the local economy', which will attract national business investment and specialist job opportunities to Stoke, in fields such as gaming, video production and advanced computation.

The application states: "This potential for local application of edge technologies not only supports the rapid growth and competitiveness of nearby firms, but also creates new skilled jobs in system administration, software development, AI training, and digital security. Crucially, it enables Stoke's workforce – especially graduates and young professionals – to apply cutting-edge digital skills in an urban regeneration context, promoting graduate retention locally, upward mobility and career progression.

"A particularly innovative feature is the centre's waste heat recovery system, which harnesses surplus warmth from the data center's operations for local heating needs."

The plans for building 4A (image via planning application)

Buildings 4A and 4B were previously affected by asbestos and water damage, but underwent targeted remediation earlier this year, and were recently used as the main venue for the British Ceramics Biennial.

The plan is to use space at 4A as a multi-purpose hall for up to three years. At this point it is hoped that the Spode China Halls – previously used as the site's main events space – will be brought back into use, allowing the data centre to expand into the space at 4A

The ground floor of 4B will be turned into office for creative and digital businesses, while the upper floors will become self-contained accommodation units, linked to the existing Potbank Aparthotel.

Ashley Booth, director at SWRL, said: "This major collaboration with GreenWeaver and our planning submission mark a bold new chapter for Spode Works and Potbank: one where sustainability, creativity and skills go hand in hand to deliver for the city, its communities, and the next generation of makers and innovators."

Arnie Sriskandarajah, CEO at GreenWeaver, said: "At GreenWeaver we are laying the foundations of the UK's independent AI future – building a sovereign, sustainable backbone of compute to power the new industrial revolution. This project at Spode Works shows how advanced AI infrastructure can recycle its heat, integrate with local energy networks, and fuel both innovation and regeneration. By linking the technologies of tomorrow with Stoke's heritage of making, we are setting a standard for green growth rooted in community."

Councillor Finlay Gordon-McCusker, cabinet member for transport, infrastructure and regeneration at the city council, added: "Spode has always been a place of creativity and invention and now it's poised to make history again. This project will help reinvent a historic site for a digital, low-carbon future, helping to make our city cleaner and greener. It's also a fantastic example of how Stoke-on-Trent is using not just government funding but also attracting serious private investment to drive innovation and regeneration."