Bryn Coch Business Park

A historic industrial site in northwest Wales is poised for a high-tech transformation as plans emerge to redevelop the former Ferodo factory in Caernarfon into a massive data center campus. The proposal, submitted by CarneySweeney on behalf of Gwelyfenai Limited, outlines a "comprehensive redevelopment" known in some documents as the Bryn Coch Business Park, which could eventually span up to 300,000 sqm and house five major buildings.

The site carries a deep and complex history; originally opened in 1962 to manufacture automotive brake components, it later became the backdrop for one of the UK’s longest industrial disputes—the Friction Dynamics strike between 2001 and 2003. Since its closure, the plot has seen several failed redevelopment attempts, including a discarded proposal for a "super prison." This new application to Cyngor Gwynedd represents a significant shift from the site's manufacturing roots toward the digital economy, marking a potential new chapter for a location that has remained largely dormant since 2008.