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Ealing Council will receive millions of pounds from a developer after approving a new data centre, and insists the high energy demands won’t come from the existing local grid.
The data centre, on the site of the former Honey Monster Food Factory on Bridge Road in Southall, was approved on Thursday, the day before new guidelines were published around data centres in the draft London Plan. The guidelines seek to balance any economic benefits with environmental damage.
However Ealing Council says “the application was determined against the planning policies and material planning considerations that applied when the decision was made” and pointed out the London Plan has not been adopted even if the draft has been published.
A spokesperson added: “Ealing Council supports a coordinated approach to planning for data centres, electricity infrastructure, housing and economic growth, ensuring that development is aligned with wider community, environmental and economic objectives.”
With the sudden proliferation of data centres across London, particularly in west London, concerns have been raised about the impact on the environment, the electricity grid and water supply. Some housing projects in west London have been held up due to grid capacity issues, partly blamed on the number of data centres in the area.
A mockup of Bridge Road data centre in SouthallEaling CouncilHowever it’s understood that some of the Southall data centre’s energy needs will be met through a 7,000-square-metre photovoltaic facade – essentially a wall of solar panels – on its southern elevation that changes appearance depending on the sunlight.
Ealing Council’s spokesperson said: “Electricity capacity is a recognised issue across west London and was considered through the planning process. Applicants are required to demonstrate the necessary utility infrastructure can be provided to support a development and any required upgrades are subject to agreement with the infrastructure providers.
“Electricity capacity will not be coming from the existing local grid and applicants are required to source and reserve this outside of the existing grid capacity.”
The Greater London Authority recently said there is around ten times the capacity currently used by existing data centres in London already requested in the grid connection queue. Concerns remain about how the dozens of data centres in the planning pipeline in London will be powered alongside the approximately 100 already in operation.
The factory being demolished for the Southall data centre was originally built in 1937 with operations ceasing in 2016. In 2022, the building was demolished and the site has remained vacant since. The new data centre will reach four storeys and encompass over 52,000 square metres of floor space.
The construction alone is expected to lead to 1,105 new full-time jobs. Planning documents indicate that the construction will “support apprenticeship opportunities and generate local expenditure through worker spending on food, drink, accommodation and related services”.
The centre is expected to create hundreds of new jobsEaling CouncilOnce operational, the centre, being built by Cyrus One, is expected to create 647 new jobs with an annual wage bill of £37 million. To ensure the local community benefited directly, the developers committed to funding 25 full apprenticeships and multiple work placements during the build.
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To mitigate its impact and support local infrastructure, the applicant has pledged £17.7 million in combined financial contributions. More than £2 million of this funding is earmarked for bus service enhancements, road safety and active travel improvements along Bridge Road.
Additionally, the facility safeguarded space to export its waste heat to a future district heating network, potentially heating nearby buildings. Over £5.3 million is allocated for carbon offsetting, alongside substantial funds to deliver Ealing’s Air Quality Action Plan.
The eastern elevation of the building is expected to feature a giant screen to be used for community events.
An Ealing Council spokesperson said: “The planning committee considered a wide range of planning matters before reaching its decision on this application, including the development plan, technical evidence, consultation responses and all other material planning considerations. These included infrastructure, environmental impacts and potential effects on local residents. Decisions are made on the planning merits of each case and against the policy framework in place at the time.
“The proposal is planned to deliver significant economic and social benefits for the borough. It will bring a long-vacant brownfield site back into productive use, support more than 1,000 construction jobs and generate hundreds of jobs.
“The scheme makes a substantial financial contribution towards infrastructure and community benefits – more than £17 million – which will support transport improvements, active travel measures, air quality initiatives, carbon reduction projects, employment and skills programmes and other infrastructure to support sustainable growth. These measures are intended to ensure residents and businesses directly benefit from opportunities arising from the development.”
According to planning documents, the project will generate significantly less traffic than the cereal factory due to strict parking limits. There will only be 78 car parking spaces alongside 78 cycle parking spaces.
The application received just one formal objection alongside various community concerns about construction traffic, worsening parking pressures, and reliance on unapproved transport infrastructure. Additional issues raised by locals included fears of exacerbated anti-social behaviour in the public spaces.
The approval is subject to standard planning conditions, the finalisation of the Section 106 agreement for financial contributions to local projects, and a Stage 2 referral to the Mayor of London.