Data centre near Houghton Regis approved - despite concerns over water use

Applicant Colliers Properties LLC submitted full plans for the development near Houghton Regis, with a substation compound, an attenuation pond and other equipment on 21.5 acres of land.

Access is from Chantry Way, while there’s parking and cycle storage for each unit, according to a report to Central Bedfordshire Council’s development management committee.

“The data centre buildings would be situated on either side of the substation compound,” said the report.

Principal planning officerCaroline Macrdechian told the committee: “The site falls within the urban extension of north Houghton Regis, referred to as Linmere.

“It’s part of the strategic allocation in the Local Plan, which has outline consent for mixed-use development,” she explained. “This development is considered acceptable in principle.”

Keith Featherstone, of Chalton Parish Council, said: “This site has been selected only because it’s close to the Sundon substation.

“It’s been squeezed into a small area the size and shape of which render it unsuitable for a development of this magnitude. The overbearing nature of this scheme, with its size, mass and high position, will dominate the community farmstead and adjacent apartments.

“The development will draw around 100MW of power from the Sundon substation. Cooling is critical and it’s estimated 40 to 50 per cent of the energy supplied will go into the atmosphere as waste heat from 222 extraction fans.

“This application must be rejected until comprehensive waste heat recovery plans are submitted. Its impact on CBC’s plans to achieve net zero haven’t been considered. The carbon dioxide emissions are likely to be more than 12,000 tonnes a year.”

Objector and head of strategy at non-governmental organisation Foxglove Tim Squirrell suggested data centres similar to the proposal “tend to consume between four and 19m litres of water a day” for cooling.

“That has to be water suitable for drinking, otherwise it allegedly gums up the works,” he said. “It’s unclear how much Affinity Water will need to supply for this development.”

Asked whether Affinity Water would draw on water from local aquifers, he replied: “The development can get water from the supplier, Affinity, or by drilling a borehole and taking it from an aquifer.

“That requires a permit from the Environment Agency, if it’s more than 20,000 litres a day.”

Houghton Regis Town Council supported the Chalton Parish Council objections.

Planning agent for the applicant Nick Finney, of Data Center Dynamics, described it as “a high quality and landscape led data centre proposal”, saying: “The development offers the opportunity for a significant inward investment to the local economy.

“This scheme is part of the operator’s plans to invest £8bn in the UK by 2028. Data centres are the backbone of future economic growth and have been recognised as critical national infrastructure.

“We understand concerns about water usage. That would be air cooled for this proposal, which means for most of the year no water is used to cool the servers. Affinity confirmed it can supply sufficient water.

“The applicant has a confirmed site operator and has secured a power supply agreement to this location, which benefits from the capacity upgrades made recently to the network. It provides new public access to green space and footpaths.”