Major data centre plan approved by councillors

The project's appearance will be decided by a later application

A major data centre on the site of a town's former paint factory has been given outline planning permission.

Equinix wants to use about half of Slough's former AkzoNobel site off Wexham Road for giant warehouses to run a variety of digital services.

Slough councillors gave the project planning permission at a meeting on Wednesday but its appearance, scale and landscaping will be decided when a second application is made.

Their authority sold the site to Equinix for £143.75m in 2022 as it sought to cut its massive debt. It bought it in 2021, initially to use for 1,000 homes.

Developers believe sufficient power to run the latter stages of the development might only be available by 2038.

Part of the former AkzoNobel site is already being used for a data centre development.

A public inquiry that will advise whether a major data centre should be built in another part of Slough was held last month.

Manor Farm Propco Limited wants to use the 20.2-acre (8.2 hectares) green belt site for the data centre, a Battery Energy Storage System (BESS), generators and other infrastructure.

The decision regarding its application will be taken by the housing, communities and local government secretary in the coming months.