Orbital Data Centres Announces £1.5 Billion M25 Project

Orbital Data Centres announced plans to invest £1.5 billion in a new data centre development near Junction 24 of the M25. The project, which spans the boundaries of Enfield and Hertsmere councils, will include two data centre buildings, offices, and security infrastructure, while maintaining over half the site as green space.

John Doyle, a director at the company, stated that the development will generate £6.8 million annually in business rates and create 1,400 construction jobs and 170 operational roles. Public consultation for the project remains open until the end of November.

In a separate development, proposals have emerged to convert 210 hectares of farmland in Great Lea Common, south of the M4 near Reading, into a data centre and logistics hub. This proposal is part of the Wokingham Borough Council Local Plan process. The shift to industrial use follows the Ministry of Defence's decision to block the 15,000-home Grazeley Green Garden Town project because the land is located within the Detailed Emergency Planning Zone for the Atomic Weapons Establishment facility in Burghfield.