Secretary of state Angela Rayner has overturned a decision blocking the construction of a high-tech data centre on green belt land in Iver, Buckinghamshire.
Rayner called in the planning application after the scheme was originally blocked in October 2023 by Buckinghamshire County Council, which said it would be an “inappropriate development in the green belt”.
In a letter sent on Rayner’s behalf, housing minister Matthew Pennycook said the proposal “would make a significant contribution” to the need for data centres in the UK.
“[Rayner] agrees with the inspector that failure to meet this need could have significant negative consequences for the UK digital economy,” said Pennycook in the recovered appeal letter.
From industrial estate to data centre
The proposals for the site include building a 65,000 sq m 140MW data centre at Court Lane industrial estate and the refurbishment of the Grade II-listed Iver Court farmhouse building.
Court Lane, a 14-acre industrial estate next to the M25, has a mix of occupiers and uses, including vehicle storage, scrap metal recycling and offices.
The owner of the estate, Hanover Property Unit Trust, has secured a contracted agreement with the National Grid necessary for the data centre infrastructure.
Hanover Property Unit Trust’s parent company has agreed to the conditional sale of the site to clients of real estate investment firm Affinius Capital. Hyperscale data centre developer Corscale is expected to develop the site.
