A £3.75 billion hyperscale datacentre is on the way near the South Mimms Service Station in Hertfordshire. The local council just approved the plans from DC01UK, despite facing over 900 objections. They applied for planning permission back in September 2024, and now the council has given the green light, indicating they find the proposed use of the green belt land acceptable.
There were 929 objections and 503 expressions of support filed. A spokesperson from DC01UK thanked the Hertsmere Borough Council for their pragmatic approach, noting the project’s potential to boost the local economy, create skilled jobs, and offer greater opportunities for residents. They aim to position Hertfordshire as a leader in the datacentre revolution, projecting an economic impact of £3.75 billion during construction and nearly 14,000 indirect jobs once it’s operational.
DC01UK won’t operate the datacentre itself but plans to market the site to potential operators. Discussions have already begun with several parties interested in developing a hyperscale datacentre tailored to various needs. DC01UK claims this facility could become Europe’s largest cloud and AI datacentre upon completion.
This comes just after the government released its 50-point AI opportunities action plan, which emphasizes expanding AI technology across the UK. To support this initiative, the government aims to reduce planning hurdles for new datacentre constructions. Chris Bryant, the minister for telecoms, highlighted that datacentres are essential for modern society and will help drive skilled jobs and economic growth in the southeast.
Stephen Beard from Knight Frank, who has worked with DC01UK on this project, called it groundbreaking. He noted that this would be the largest datacentre in Europe, strategically positioned to meet the rising demand for cloud services and accommodate future AI requirements. Beard described it as a significant step for the UK moving toward becoming a global leader in cloud, AI, and digital infrastructure.