‘Serious logical error’ in approving Iver data centre, Government admits

A 'serious logical error' was made in a decision to push through plans for a sweeping ‘hyperscale’ data centre in Iver, the Government has admitted.

Campaigners had taken the Government to court over the move, which saw the data centre on greenbelt land approved without an environmental impact assessment being undertaken.

A letter from Government lawyers has now admitted there had been a ‘serious logical mistake’ in approving the centre and its decision was ‘arguable and should be quashed’.

Developer Greystoke planned to build the ‘hyperscale’ project - the largest type of data centre – on land at a former landfill site in Woodlands Park, next to the M25 and off Slough Road.

Buckinghamshire Council refused permission, but the decision was called in by Angela Rayner, then Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, who gave the plans a green light.

The decision said ‘planning balance’ should weigh in favour of the proposal, despite acknowledging it would ‘materially alter’ the character of the greenbelt land.

But two campaign groups, Foxglove UK and Global Action Plan, began legal proceedings against what they dubbed a 'rash decision’.

Foxglove UK describes itself as a 'not-for-profit technology justice' group, while Global Action Plan is a pro-environmental charity.

The two argued that permission should not have been granted because of the lack of environmental impact assessment.

They said, despite the ‘huge energy consumption of hyperscale data centres’, the Government decision included ‘just one paragraph addressing the potential power and environmental cost’.

Government lawyers wrote to campaigners and conceded the error last week.

The letter said that Secretary of State Steve Reed accepted that in ‘failing to secure’ the proper environmental assessment, there had been a ‘serious logical error’.

It said: "The reasons given by the Secretary of State [Ms Rayner] for considering the development did not require an EIA were inadequate.”

The letter added that the campaigners’ legal claim was ‘arguable and the permission should be quashed’.

Foxglove co-executive director Rosa Curling said: “It shouldn’t take us having to drag the Government to court for them to admit their decision to back Big Tech’s polluting data centres was fundamentally wrong. 

“For too long, ministers have been putting the profits of Trump-supporting tech billionaires ahead of the interests of the British public.

“Nowhere has this been clearer than their willingness to force through massive data centres against the wishes of the local community, without a thought for the catastrophic damage they will cause to our environment. 

“We’re encouraged that the Government now appears to recognise that blindly accepting tech companies’ magical promises about the impact of their data centres on our environment isn’t good enough.

“Instead, there need to be strict legal restrictions with teeth, and a mandatory Environmental Impact Assessment for each new data centre as a starting point.” 

A court hearing on Thursday (January 22) went ahead with Greystoke contesting the campaigner’s claim, Foxglove and Global Action Plan said.

The company declined to comment on the Government's letter.

The Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government was approached for further comment.