60,000sqm data centre approved for Iver Heath

A very large data centre in Iver Heath has been given the greenlight after several years in the making – including an overhaul of plans to make them better.

Buckinghamshire Council has granted conditional permission for the redevelopment of land at Dromenagh Farm in Sevenhills Road to create a hyperscale data centre and training centre.

The project includes a 63,267sqm data centre, a 701sqm training centre, and 4.3 hectares of landscaped publicly accessible open space.

The training centre, with its specialist data centre equipment, is to be used in partnership with education providers to create a pipeline of engineers with practical experience.

The whole scheme, submitted by data centre specialists CyrusOne UK6 Limited, spans 16.5 hectares. The site currently houses industrial operations and a former landfill.

This covers the former Shannon Group Headquarters and adjacent sites, bounded by Denham Road, Sevenhills Road, and the M25 motorway.

This decision follows a complex planning journey. The original application, submitted in September 2022, was withdrawn in May 2024 after discussions with council officers.

A revised application was lodged in July 2024 and was approved on Wednesday (June 12). Now, Bucks council granted permission for the data centre, with conditions.

Conditions include a phased delivery – though no fixed sequence of phases is approved yet. The applicant must submit a detailed plan to the council before starting work.

Boost for wildlife, connectivity and the community

Once operational, the data centre is expected to create around 539 jobs.

A new bridleway will link existing rights of way, and a signalised pedestrian crossing will be installed on Denham Road.

Public access will be expanded with new paths to restore links between fragmented ancient woodlands.

The scheme promises a biodiversity net gain of more than 130 per cent, including woodlands, meadows, and orchards planted to enhance habitats.

Improvements include a public woodland walk looping around a new lake, an area planted with fruit trees and shrubs, open meadow areas with an apiary, and sculpted parkland of small hills and valleys.

The data centre would sit within earth-mounded landscaping to reduce its visual impact from the M25 and surrounds.

In terms of sustainability, the data centre targets BREEAM ‘Excellent’ – the second-highest environmental rating – or higher. It will have a green roof.

Deal sweeteners included in the agreement

A Section 106 agreement has been formed – basically a deal struck between the developer and the council for community improvements and mitigations for some of the ill effects of such a large scheme.

Some of the mitigations include:

• An electric minibus service for staff and visitors
• A requirement to ensure all visitors to the training facility are to arrive by an electric minibus, using the new Denham Road access
• Possible change of speed limit and other measures on Denham Road
• Only two parking spaces proposed in front of the training centre
• The site’s backup generators must not emit more than about 10 tonnes of nitrogen oxide and 0.2 tonnes of fine particles (PM2.5) each year, except in emergencies
• A contribution of £1.22million to offset emissions from the site’s backup diesel generators.

The section of Denham Road near the site currently has a 50-60mph speed limit and it is regarded by locals as dangerous to cross.

A speed limit review will examine whether reducing the speed limit could help improve road safety and encourage walking and cycling.

Green light despite the greenbelt

The project sits within the greenbelt, which requires ‘very special circumstances’ to justify building there.

Bucks council accepted that this project meets this threshold, for the sake of the economy.

The facility’s location is close to fibre connections and electrical supply – which is ‘critical’ to modern data centres, in the words of the applicant.

The case officer’s report noted that recent appeal decisions have emphasised the pressing need for data centre capacity in this region.

Moreover, the plans are considered a regeneration of a partly derelict and fragmented industrial site – with redundant structures and ‘poor quality’ land – into a modern data park.