Government overrides local council to approve £1bn green belt datacentre near M25

96MW facility gets green light amid national push for strategic infrastructure

Angela Rayner has overridden local opposition to green light the development of a 96-megawatt facility adjacent to the M25 in Hertfordshire, as the government aims to speed up strategic digital infrastructure construction.

The UK government has overridden local opposition to approve the development of a datacentre on protected green belt land near Abbots Langley, Hertfordshire.

The decision, signed off by Deputy Prime Minister and Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government Angela Rayner, comes amid sweeping national policy reforms aimed at accelerating the rollout of strategic digital infrastructure.

The 96-megawatt facility, proposed by developer Greystoke, is set to be built on a site adjacent to the M25 motorway and will comprise two buildings covering up to 84,000 square meters (900,000 square feet).

The datacentre will include ancillary offices, electrical infrastructure, and backup generators. The total investment is expected to exceed £1 billion, making it one of the largest digital infrastructure projects in the UK.

Three Rivers District Council had originally rejected the application in January 2024, citing "significant landscape and visual harm" and arguing the proposal failed to meet green belt planning tests.

But in a letter [pdf] published last week, Rayner confirmed the government had overturned the decision following a planning appeal, citing the recently revised National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF).

Under the revised NPPF, introduced by the Labour government, local planning authorities are now required to proactively identify land for datacentres, gigafactories, labs, and other critical infrastructure.

The new rules also reframe the green belt restrictions, allowing development in previously protected areas if it meets nationally strategic needs and if no viable alternatives exist.

Rayner's letter notes that the Planning Inspector found "insufficient suitable alternative sites" to meet the region's growing demand for datacentre capacity, especially as digital services, AI workloads, and cloud computing continue to expand rapidly.

To address local concerns, Greystoke has pledged to deliver a new country park the size of 25 football pitches on currently private land adjacent to the development.

The company is also offering £12 million in funding for local education and training initiatives. However, critics argue that these concessions fall short.

Stephen Giles-Medhurst, Leader of Three Rivers District Council, called the decision "deeply disappointing" and warned it sets a dangerous precedent for green belt erosion.

"Despite the people of Abbots Langley and further afield not welcoming this application and us fighting tooth and nail to protect this green space, both the Planning Inspector and the Secretary of State believed that the datacentre did not constitute inappropriate development in the green belt," Giles-Medhurst said.

"In my view, as Leader of Three Rivers District Council, there is little gain for the village apart from an extra country park and some low-level employment. What this decision means is putting up with mega warehouse-type buildings across our green belt," he added.

Greystoke is also behind another project in Woodlands Park, near Iver in Buckinghamshire, which was recently rejected by local planners but is now also under appeal, potentially benefiting from the same regulatory changes.

Meanwhile, earlier this year, planning permission was granted for what has been dubbed "Europe's largest cloud and AI datacentre" near South Mimms, just 10 miles from Abbots Langley, further cementing the M25 corridor as a hotspot for hyperscale infrastructure.

Development consultancy Pegasus Group, which represented Greystoke in the appeal, said the ruling affirms that the new planning framework is taking effect.

"It was recognized that there would be harm in terms of landscape and visual impact and also some harm to both designated and non-designated heritage assets, but the overall conclusion was that the appeal should be allowed," Pegasus Group said.