Hundreds of long-term jobs and billions of pounds in private investment could be heading to North Lincolnshire after councillors approved plans for a major artificial intelligence data centre campus near Elsham.

The proposed Elsham Tech Park development could attract up to £10 billion of private investment and support around 900 highly skilled permanent jobs, while also creating thousands of construction roles during the decade-long build programme.

Designed to support the rapid global growth of artificial intelligence, cloud computing and high-performance data processing, the campus would provide advanced computing infrastructure and could position North Lincolnshire as a key hub in the UK’s digital economy.

The plans received outline approval from the council's planning committee and would create one of the largest AI data centre campuses proposed in the UK.

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Cllr Rob Waltham, leader, North Lincolnshire Council, said: "The numbers attached to this project are eye-watering – almost hard to get your head around. But what really matters is what it means for residents in North Lincolnshire.

"This will bring thousands of construction jobs, hundreds of highly skilled, high-paid long-term roles, and the chance to build a new industry right here in North Lincolnshire."

The project is expected to create significant opportunities for local businesses through construction, engineering and manufacturing supply chains as the development is delivered in phases over several years.

Cllr Waltham added: "This is a once-in-a-generation investment opportunity. North Lincolnshire remains a place where major industries choose to invest, grow and create jobs."

The development would cover around 176 hectares (435 acres) of land near Elsham and include up to 15 hyperscale data centre buildings, also known as data halls. Once complete, the campus could provide more than 1.5 million square metres of floorspace and deliver up to one gigawatt (1,000MW) of computing capacity, placing it among the largest AI data centre developments proposed in the country.

The campus is expected to support between 900 and 1,200 permanent highly skilled jobs once operational, while thousands more would be created during the construction phase.

Construction is planned to take place in stages over approximately 10 years, with the development expected to require more than 100,000 tonnes of structural steel, potentially generating major opportunities for UK manufacturing supply chains.