The secretary of state for housing, communities and local government, Angela Rayner, has approved previously rejected plans for a 700,000 sq ft data centre development on an industrial estate in Buckinghamshire.
Affinius Capital and Corscale Data Centers’ plans for the redevelopment of Court Lane Industrial Estate were rejected in October 2023 by Buckinghamshire Council due to fears over the scheme’s impact on the green belt.
Affinius Capital challenged the decision and earlier this year Rayner wrote to the council to inform it she was using her powers to take over responsibility from the planning inspectorate to decide whether the project should go ahead.
In her decision letter, Rayner said that despite its height and width the “visual envelope from which the development would be seen is relatively limited and that any harm to the landscape would be minor, and that any visual harm would be no greater than moderate”.
She added the site is an “optimal location” for data centre use and there is a “clear lack of alternative sites available at present to meet the demand for such data centres in the Slough and Hayes Availability Zones”.
Affinius Capital’s plans for the site include restoring and refurbishing the Grade II listed Iver Court Farmhouse, with the surrounding industrial buildings, which currently obscure views of the historic farmhouse, demolished.
Simon West, fund manager for PATRIZIA Hanover Property Unit Trust, which owns the site, said: “We welcome the decision by the secretary of state to approve plans for a high-tech data centre on the Court Lane industrial site. Our asset management strategy for the site has focused on maximising its potential and, after securing an agreement with the National Grid, it is ideally suited for an industry-leading data centre, providing vital infrastructure for the continued growth of the UK economy.”
