Hounslow Council has given the green light to a new data centre on a 12.2-acre brownfield site at the Haslemere Heathrow Estate, despite concerns over its substantial electricity and water requirements. The decision, made earlier this month, follows Ealing Council's approval of another large data centre in Southall, highlighting the rapid expansion of such facilities across west London.
Planning approval and energy demands
At the planning committee meeting, councillors discussed the facility's need for a high-capacity power connection, which would be equivalent to the electricity demand of tens of thousands of homes. However, the plans were approved after assurances that the Haslemere Heathrow Estate scheme would import energy from outside Hounslow's boundaries, specifically from the Laleham Grid Supply Point.
The development is part of a broader trend, with several more data centres planned for the area. Questions have been raised about how local water supplies will be affected and where these centres are located across the capital.
London's data centre landscape
Data centres house servers and IT infrastructure that underpin much of the modern economy, from cloud computing and streaming to artificial intelligence. London is already by far the UK's biggest data centre hub. According to the Greater London Authority, there were 99 operational data centre sites in the capital as of November last year, with another 26 in the planning pipeline. Around 80% of the UK's data centre capacity is located in London.
But the rapid expansion is putting increasing pressure on the capital's electricity and water infrastructure. The latest Hounslow development would be built at the Haslemere Heathrow Estate, with plans approved despite concerns about the amount of electricity the facility could require.
Water usage and regulatory concerns
Affinity Water, which supplies parts of Hounslow, told MPs in May that some data centres were seeking up to 3 million litres of water a day. That's roughly equivalent to the peak water demand of 3,500 homes. The developer will now have to submit a strategy aimed at reducing the amount of water used during the centre's operation.
The Greater London Authority had previously warned that the Hounslow proposal did not fully comply with the London Plan, highlighting concerns about its transport impact as well as its high water and energy demands.
Ealing's parallel approval and next steps
Meanwhile, Ealing Council approved plans last month for a 52,000 square metre data centre on Bridge Road in Southall. Ealing Council said electricity capacity was a 'recognised issue across west London' and confirmed the Bridge Road development would have to source its electricity outside the existing grid capacity.
Both the Ealing and Hounslow developments still need to go through a Stage 2 referral to the mayor of London. Ofgem has also identified data centres as a major driver of growing demand on the UK's electricity grid.
