New company proposes 320MW data centre in Essex

A new data centre has been proposed in Essex, near North London, by DC01UK. This new company is looking to develop an 85-acre site near South Mimms.

The proposed facility will provide 320MW across two million sq ft of space. In a letter to residents of the local community, DC01UK said they are preparing an outline planning application to submit to the Hertsmere Borough Council.

The company invited residents to provide feedback on the plans. In the letter, DC01UK emphasised the data centre would ‘bring significant local and national investment, and jobs and local community and training benefits to the area’, with the company estimating the creation of 200 jobs associated with the project.

If the application is accepted by the council, the project could begin in 2027 and be operational by 2029.

“The project would put Hertsmere at the forefront of one of the most technologically exciting projects in Europe and lead the world in setting the gold standard for the next generation of high-tech infrastructure,” said a spokesperson for the data centre.

The 85-acre site is located in the Green Belt, an area designated to conserve farmland, wildlife habitat, and scenic landscapes of the region. However, DC01UK has argued that the site “performs poorly” against the Green Belt purposes.

Local residents and environmental groups have opposed other large-scale data centre projects across the UK, particularly those located in protected areas like the Green Belt. Last year, Digital Reef proposed a data centre near Essex which, if completed, could be the largest in Europe.

Residents have expressed concern about the data centre, citing the disruption that construction would cause and the long-lasting impact on the scenic landscapes and natural environment meant to be protected by Green Belt status.

“If this development is allowed, it will set a precedent, and we would then lose more and more of our Green Belt. The Green Belt forms the lungs of our city, providing clean air as well as rich wildlife,” said Ian Pirie, coordinator of local opposition group Havering Friends of the Earth.

Pirie also expressed concern about allowing ‘this creeping industrialisation of the countryside’, querying if this is permitted, where would it be allowed to stop?

However, data centre proposals like those put forth by DC01UK and Digital Reef may have a better chance of prevailing, with the recent statements by Labour about prioritising data centres as critical infrastructure, which would make it easier for them to get planning permissions.

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