Private prototype. Facts from research on 2 to 3 October 2026; not yet reviewed for publication. Forms do not submit.

All schemes

Council said no - overruledEast of England, England

Bedmond Road data centre campus, Abbots Langley

The Secretary of State allowed Greystoke's recovered appeal on 12 May 2025 and granted outline permission for up to 84,000 sqm of data centre in two buildings plus a country park, overturning Three Rivers' January 2024 refusal. Reserved matters must be submitted within three years and follow six parameter plans; no reserved matters application or later legal challenge was found by 3 October 2026. [S1] [S2] [S4] [S6]

Key facts

Status
Council said no - overruled (appeal decided) [S1] [S2] [S4] [S6]
Decided by
Secretary of State (recovered appeal, decided); Three Rivers District Council for reserved matters [S1] [S2]
Applicant
Greystoke Land Ltd [S1] [S3]
References
APP/P1940/W/24/3346061; 23/1068/OUT; 24/0022/REF
Location
Green Belt land off Bedmond Road, Abbots Langley, Hertfordshire (WD5), adjacent to the M25; two parcels totalling about 31 ha. The Secretary of State accepted the site as grey belt. [S1] [S2] [S5]
IT capacity
96MW [S1] [S3] [S7] [S10]
Site area
31 ha [S1] [S3] [S7] [S10]
Buildings
Two buildings, 20m high plus 5m flues, ancillary buildings and country park [S1] [S3] [S7] [S10]
Investment (claimed)
GBP1bn (claimed by developer) [S1] [S3] [S7] [S10]
Backup generators
Backup generators and fuel storage proposed (number not found) [S7]
Designations
Metropolitan Green Belt (treated by the Secretary of State as grey belt); Heritage assets nearby (landscape and visual harm to heritage assets acknowledged, per Three Rivers) [S1] [S2] [S8] [S10]
Previous use
Existing buildings and hardstandings to be demolished and cleared [S1] [S2] [S8] [S10]
Environmental assessment
Not established from sources opened (appeal documents folders A to J listed on Three Rivers site) [S1] [S2] [S8] [S10]

Timeline

  1. 18 January 2024
    Three Rivers planning committee unanimously refuses 23/1068/OUT (96MW headline): Green Belt, harm to character and appearance, no formal commitment on walking and cycling routes (date per DCD report) [S7]
  2. 23 October 2024
    Public inquiry closing submissions held virtually [S2]
  3. 12 May 2025
    Secretary of State allows appeal APP/P1940/W/24/3346061 and grants outline permission (decision letter date); inspector Thomas Hatfield had recommended approval [S1] [S3]
  4. 13 May 2025
    Press and Three Rivers leader's statement on the decision (publication date, one day after decision) [S3] [S8]
  5. 19 May 2025
    Report that Three Rivers sees 'little hope of success' in a judicial review and will not pursue one [S9]

Politicians and organisations

  • Cllr Stephen Giles-Medhurst, leader of Three Rivers District Council (disappointed; refused locally; opted not to seek judicial review)

Claims

Claims by developers, campaigners or councils, recorded as claims and not checked as fact.

  • Greystoke Land (DCD; JLL) (developer): Hundreds of well-paid jobs; GBP12m for education and training; GBP1bn investment; new country park; 135% biodiversity net gain [S3] [S10]
  • Greystoke Land (as reported by DCD) (developer): Approval gives about 3% of forecast London data centre capacity growth; failure risks investment going to Frankfurt, Amsterdam and Paris [S3]
  • Cllr Stephen Giles-Medhurst, leader, Three Rivers (council): Village gets limited benefit beyond a country park and low-level employment [S8]

Sources

  1. [S1] Recovered appeal: land off Bedmond Road, Abbots Langley (decision 12 May 2025). GOV.UK (MHCLG / Planning Inspectorate), 12 May 2025. Level 1 source.
  2. [S2] Planning Appeals (appeal 3346061, TRDC 23/1068/OUT). Three Rivers District Council. Level 1 source.
  3. [S3] Angela Rayner overturns decision to block data center planned for Hertfordshire. DatacenterDynamics, 13 May 2025. Level 5 source.
  4. [S4] Government 'recovered' Abbots Langley data centre planning appeal. Three Rivers District Council. Level 1 source.
  5. [S5] Proposed Data Storage Centre on Land At Abbots Langley WD5 0QE (proof of evidence). Three Rivers District Council appeal documents, 2024-09. Level 1 source.
  6. [S6] Planning Appeals: allowed 12 May 2025. Three Rivers District Council. Level 1 source.
  7. [S7] Plans for 96MW data center in Hertfordshire rejected. DatacenterDynamics, 18 January 2024. Level 5 source.
  8. [S8] Council Leader responds to government's decision over Abbots Langley data centre. Three Rivers District Council, 13 May 2025. Level 1 source.
  9. [S9] No judicial review to fight giant data centre plan. UK Property Forums, 19 May 2025. Level 5 source.
  10. [S10] Hyperscale Data Centre approved on Grey Belt site. JLL. Level 6 source.
  11. [S11] Planning permission for Buckinghamshire data center likely to be quashed after UK Government admits 'serious logical error' (separate scheme, context). DatacenterDynamics, 23 January 2026. Level 5 source.