Charlton Gateway puts data centre-led regeneration on the Greenwich waterfront
Written by Rebecca Uffindell Wed 19 Aug 2026
A major data centre has been proposed as the anchor for the redevelopment of the former Stone Foundries site at Charlton Riverside in southeast London, combining digital infrastructure with workspace, public realm, and the potential reuse of waste heat.
Located near the Thames Barrier, the Charlton Gateway scheme is being progressed by Greater London Industrial (GLi), which has presented the project as part of wider regeneration along the Greenwich waterfront. The proposals centre on what the developer describes as a “highly efficient, low-impact data centre”, alongside space for small and medium-sized businesses and the local community.
The Data Centre Sits at the Centre of the Proposal
The Stone Foundries site lies within Charlton Riverside, an Opportunity Area designated by the Royal Borough of Greenwich and a Strategic Development Location in the London Plan.
GLi has brought the former foundry together with neighbouring land as part of the Charlton Gateway proposals after earlier residential plans for the site did not move forward.
“Our proposals for Charlton Gateway would be a catalyst for investment and encourage a renewed approach to regeneration along the riverside area,” said GLi.
The proposal includes new pedestrian routes, green space, and landscaping, alongside dedicated SME and community space. GLi also said the development would reduce traffic compared with existing uses on the site.
The Project is Moving Through Environmental Assessment
The scale of the proposal makes it a significant infrastructure development rather than a conventional industrial redevelopment.
The project is being progressed through the Environmental Impact Assessment process, with the proposed development comprising approximately 100,000 sqm Gross External Area (GEA) of data centre space, plus up to 10,000 sqm GEA of mixed-use space, according to information submitted to the Royal Borough of Greenwich.
Project materials also set out a layered approach to the height and layout of the site, with the data centre forming the largest part of the development.
If the necessary approvals are secured, GLi has said it expects to deliver the data centre by 2029.
That timetable would place Charlton Gateway within a period of continued expansion for London’s digital infrastructure, while the site’s location close to Canary Wharf gives it connectivity to one of the capital’s major financial districts.
Power and Water Shaped the Design
The project has been designed around two of the principal constraints affecting data centre development: electricity and water.
GLi describes the site as “ready to connect to the energy grid”, with sufficient power infrastructure and high-speed fibre already available in the area. A new substation would support power delivery to the proposed facility.
The developer has also proposed a dry cooling system. Rather than continuously consuming water for cooling, GLi said the system would use a finite quantity that could be reused, avoiding an impact on the local water supply.
Backup generators would provide emergency power during grid outages, although the project materials state that their use would be expected to be infrequent.
Waste Heat Could Support Local Infrastructure
One of the more distinctive elements of Charlton Gateway is the potential reuse of heat generated by the data centre.
GLi is exploring opportunities for a low-carbon district heat network serving the surrounding area and using heat output from the facility.
The proposal remains an opportunity under consideration rather than a committed part of the scheme, but it broadens the project’s role beyond computing capacity.
If developed, the heat network could connect the data centre to future development elsewhere in Charlton Riverside, allowing an output normally treated as waste to become part of the area’s energy infrastructure.
Economic Benefits Are Part of the Case
GLi has also attached specific economic projections to the proposal.
The developer said Charlton Gateway could deliver an uplift in jobs and generate more than £33 million ($44.9 million) in Gross Value Added, alongside £3.4 million ($4.6 million) in annual business rates.
The plans also include space intended for small and medium-sized businesses and the community, new green areas and improved pedestrian connections through the site.
Those benefits remain projections attached to a proposed development rather than realised outcomes. But their prominence in the project materials shows how the case for urban data centre development is being made by extending beyond capacity alone.
Data Centres Are Becoming Part of Regeneration Plans
Charlton Gateway remains a proposed development, and its wider regeneration benefits will depend on planning, delivery, and whether elements such as the district heat network ultimately proceed.
But the scheme shows how large urban data centres are being positioned within broader development plans.
As has become clear across the industry, power, cooling, and connectivity remain fundamental to whether a facility can be delivered. At Charlton, those requirements sit alongside workspace, public realm, local economic contributions, and the potential integration of the facility into a wider energy network.
The result is a proposal in which digital infrastructure is being treated as part of the regeneration case rather than separate from it.
Written by Rebecca Uffindell Wed 19 Aug 2026