WARRINGTON South MP Sarah Hall has called on ministers to back local innovation as local company ‘Platform’ begins to transform the former Unilever site into a next-generation modular data centre, a development set to power the UK’s growing AI economy.
Speaking in Parliament today, Thursday, Sarah urged the Government to do more to support homegrown firms delivering cutting-edge technology and high-value jobs in towns like Warrington.
The Secretary of State welcomed her question, confirming that developments like Platform’s are exactly the kind of “bold, future-facing investment” government wants to enable, citing the new AI Opportunities Action Plan, plans to create AI Growth Zones across the UK and recognising Warrington’s place at the forefront of Britain’s next industrial revolution.
Platform’s investment will see the long-vacant Unilever site reborn as a state-of-the-art digital facility, providing the capacity, resilience and connectivity needed to support businesses across the North West and beyond.
Platform’s new project was also a headline announcement at this year’s Warrington Business Conference, themed ‘Innovate Warrington’, where more than 300 delegates came together to showcase the town’s growing role in the UK’s digital, tech and future facing industries.
Ms Hall said: “Warrington has always been a town that creates things. From manufacturing to new technology, our strength lies in adapting and leading the next wave of progress.
“Platform’s work on the former Unilever site is a perfect example of how local ambition can help power national renewal, growth and build a better Warrington.
“What makes this special is that it’s happening here, by local people, on a site that’s been part of our story for generations. It shows how towns like ours can help shape Britain’s future in a real, tangible way.
“I’ll continue to champion Warrington as a place where innovation and industry come together, creating good jobs, new skills, and a stronger local economy for all of us.”
Dante Group Director Carl Oates, part of the new Platform project added: “The old Unilever site means a lot to our town. Generations of families remember working there and the pride that came with it.
“What we’re doing now is about bringing that place back to life, turning a vacant industrial land into something that powers the new economy.
“It’s taken real teamwork to get here. Businesses and local leaders have all pulled together with one shared purpose: to make sure the opportunities of the future are created here in Warrington, by the people who live here.”
