M40 data centre which could power 1.4 million homes approved

Cherwell District Council granted the reserved matters approval for the scheme at Graven Hill, near Bicester, on August 6.

The development will see a 103,605sqm data centre campus built on former MOD land south of Graven Hill and St David’s Barracks in Ambrosden.

The project comprises eight data centre buildings with a combined maximum power output of 435MW, equivalent to 1.4 million homes.

One unit will operate at 15MW and include a single-storey office, while the remaining seven 60MW buildings will each have two-storey offices. Backup diesel generators are also proposed for use during power outages.

A major new substation is planned on the western side of the site, complementing an existing substation already built nearby. Planning officers said this would provide the site’s power needs without compromising electricity supplies elsewhere in the wider Bicester area.

According to the applicant’s economic assessment, the project could create between 1,500 and 2,000 construction jobs and between 500 and 800 permanent full-time equivalent roles once operational.

The application attracted a myriad of objections from residents and community groups.

A key issue was whether the development should be considered a B8 storage and distribution use, as approved at outline stage, or a sui generis data centre requiring a fresh planning application.

In its decision, the council said recent planning decisions and appeal rulings supported the classification of data centres within the B8 use class.

The council officer said: “Whilst it is accepted that the proposed data centres are large, this in itself does not change the use class, and the National Planning Policy Framework is clear that local planning authorities should plan for and make provision for the growth of high technology industries, including data centres.”

Water consumption was another major concern, particularly following recent dry weather and hosepipe restrictions.

Birds eye view of the Graven Hill data centre (Image: Atelier Gooch)

The applicant said the facilities would use a sealed closed-loop cooling system, meaning water would circulate internally rather than be consumed through cooling processes. A planning condition requires that system to remain in place permanently.

Ecology officers also raised concerns over the loss of 142 trees, including four high-value Category A specimens, and the impact on species including bats, birds, great crested newts and badgers.

To mitigate this, the scheme will retain boundary woodland, plant 344 new trees, create new habitats, install bat and bird boxes, provide a bat barn and introduce protections for badgers and newts.

Concerns over noise and air pollution were also raised. However, planning officers accepted submitted noise and air quality assessments, concluding impacts would be negligible and controlled through conditions.

Additional requirements cover landscaping, lighting, cycle parking, ecology and renewable energy measures, including roof-mounted solar panels and updated badger surveys.