Cherwell District Council Approves Massive Bicester Data Centre

The Cherwell District Council approved the construction of a 103,605sqm data centre campus near Graven Hill, located off the M40 near Bicester. The development will feature eight buildings and associated infrastructure. While planning officers determined that existing and proposed substations would suffice, the facility's power requirements are estimated to equal the average consumption of 1.4 million homes.

This scale of energy demand has sparked concerns among local officials and residents, particularly following electricity outages in the area last year. Bicester Town Councillor Christopher Pruden and the Graven Hill Residents' Association questioned the project's impact on Bicester's energy resilience. Pruden noted that while the developers may supply much of their own power, the lack of specific details remains a concern.

The project aligns with a broader national trend. The UK government designated data centres as critical national infrastructure in 2024, and the National Grid is currently developing a Strategic Spatial Energy Plan to manage the sector's long-term needs. The Energy Networks Association has predicted a five-fold growth in data centres by 2030, driven by the AI revolution and the digital economy.