Greystoke Land, an investment company based in Oxford, had faced rejection from local planning officials for their proposals to build new datacentres in the south of England. However, the company is now welcoming the new Labour government’s pledge to revisit two of their projects that were previously denied planning permission.
One of Greystoke’s rejected datacentre projects, located in Iver, Buckinghamshire, was refused planning permission for being deemed inappropriate development on Green Belt Land. Despite an initial rejection by Buckinghamshire Council and subsequent dismissal of their appeal by the previous government, the Labour government is now considering reviewing the project along with another £1bn development in Abbots Langley, Hertfordshire.
The new government, led by chancellor Rachel Reeves, aims to accelerate large-scale infrastructure projects by revamping the planning permission system. This includes centralizing decision-making on major developments at the national level rather than locally, with a focus on economic benefits and potential gains for the regional and national economies.
Greystoke Land expressed their support for the government’s proactive approach to infrastructure planning, particularly in the datacentre sector, which they believe will boost the UK economy and support the country’s digital industries. The tech trade body TechUK and other experts in the field have also welcomed the government’s commitment to revising planning rules for datacentres, emphasizing the need for sustainability, energy efficiency, and strategic location of new developments.
Overall, the Labour Party’s pledge to remove planning barriers for datacentre developments is seen as a positive step towards revitalizing the economy and supporting the growth of the digital industry in the UK.