Government overrules local council refusal for West London Technology Park
MHCLG pushes forward with new 90MW data centre on edge of Slough
16 July 2025
The Ministry for Housing Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) has used its planning powers to overrule Buckinghamshire Council’s refusal of planning permission for a 90MW data centre in Iver.
The Secretary of State for Housing and Planning, Matthew Pennycook has agreed with the government Inspector’s review of the West London Technology Park proposal, recommending that an appeal against the refusal is upheld and planning permission for the 775,000 sq m data centre is granted.
Greystoke Land originally submitted proposals for a larger project, which was rejected by the local council (a decision upheld by the previous government). A smaller proposal was submitted. This was rejected by the local council again, but has now been approved by the MHCLG.
One of the main drivers for the government’s decision was the ‘undisputed position’ that the need for data centre capacity within the Slough Availability Zone (SAZ) has continued to rise significantly over the past year. Slough is home to the UK’s largest grouping of data centres, and is one of the most significant in Europe. Its capacity for growth has been limited by local geography, and the government has estimated a need for another 2,500MW of additional capacity by 2029.
The West London Technology Park represents £1 billion in inward investment and is to be constructed on former landfill site close to the M25 and Iver substation. Greystoke points out that the site is ideally positioned along the UK’s long-haul fibre network.
This is not the first time that Angela Rayner’s Ministry has stepped in to push through planning approval for a data centre. It is a strategy in line with the UK government’s focus on AI as a key pillar of UK economic growth. A previous decision was also in favour of Greystoke Land with a proposed data centre for Abbots Langley in Hertfordshire.
Greystoke Land has several significant data centre projects underway around the UK, including the Humber Tech Park and the Abbots Langley data centre. It has also partnered with North Lincolnshire Council to propose an AI Growth Zone for the region and has submitted plans for Elsham Tech Park, a landmark £10 billion data centre campus in the area.
