A heating firm hopes a new plan to build a small data centre among houses in Llanbradach could help heat homes.

Cornwall-based Kensa Contracting Ltd has applied for planning permission to set up the facility inside a shipping container in Cwrt Nant Owen.

Clad in timber, the container will be located in a communal garden area and “house a small data centre and associated equipment”.

Data centres are typically made up of computer servers and can be used for storage or processing.

In council documents, Alister Henderson, the applicant, said the main purpose of the new facility will be to “capture the waste heat from data processing and send it into the local district heating network”.

In this case, the heating network serves the homes in Cwrt Nant Owen.

Mr Henderson said the housing association which manages the homes is “working with us on the project”, and will contact Cwrt Nant Owen residents about the development.

The wooden cladding will “closely match the type used in the surrounding fencing”, he added.

The application is currently out for consultation, and can be viewed on the Caerphilly County Borough Council website under reference 24/0469/COU.