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

All schemes

Decided in WhitehallSouth East, England

Ebbsfleet AI Data Centre Campus, New Barn Road, Southfleet (Dartford)

On 1 July 2026 the Secretary of State directed under section 35 of the Planning Act 2008 that the campus be treated as a nationally significant project needing a Development Consent Order, taking the decision away from Dartford Borough Council. No DCO application has been submitted; the developer says first public consultation is in autumn 2026, a full consultation in 2027 and an application in 2028. [S1] [S3] [S4] [S7]

Key facts

Status
Decided in Whitehall (nsip pre application) [S1] [S3] [S4] [S7]
Decided by
Secretary of State (Development Consent Order route, examined by the Planning Inspectorate) [S1] [S3] [S4]
Applicant
CSE52 Limited [S1] [S3] [S4]
Developer or backer
Clearstone (infrastructure developer; Clearstone Energy), reported as the developer behind the scheme; Burges Salmon LLP act for the applicant
References
Section 35 direction, Planning Act 2008, dated 1 July 2026
Location
About 145 acres (c.59 ha) of former horticultural / fruit-growing farmland off New Barn Road, between Southfleet and Northfleet, in Dartford borough, Kent. Developer says about 90 acres would be developed. Developer says the site is about 500 metres south of the Northfleet East substation. [S1] [S3] [S4] [S5]
Total power
300MW [S3] [S4] [S5] [S9]
Site area
59 ha [S3] [S4] [S5] [S9]
Buildings
Up to four data centre buildings (per Kent Current and a trade report; developer page gives footprint only) [S3] [S4] [S5] [S9]
Investment (claimed)
More than GBP3bn (claimed by developer, as reported by Kent Online) [S3] [S4] [S5] [S9]
Cooling and water
Not set out in sources found. Residents and councillors (including Cllr Perry Cole, Hartley Parish Council) have raised water supply concerns; no technical water evidence yet published. [S3] [S4] [S2] [S8]
Previous use
Farmland / former horticultural land (fruit fields) [S2] [S5] [S9]
Environmental assessment
Not yet reached; DCO applications for a scheme of this kind would be accompanied by environmental work, per the developer's described process. No scoping opinion found. [S2] [S5] [S9]

Timeline

  1. 2025-10
    Clearstone reported to have withdrawn a 300MW battery storage scheme on nearby land (single secondary source, month only) [S5]
  2. 1 July 2026
    Section 35 direction given by the Secretary of State; applicant CSE52 Limited (Burges Salmon LLP) [S1] [S3]
  3. 2 July 2026
    Direction publicised (LexisNexis note dated 2 July; Kent Current article dated 3 July; Kent Online 7 July) [S5] [S6] [S4]
  4. 18 August 2026
    Kent Online reports Dartford council leader Jeremy Kite: 'We've told them we don't like it and we don't want it', and a resident petition at nearly 1,300 signatures [S2]
  5. 3 September 2026
    Dartford MP Jim Dickson asks in the House of Commons for a debate on siting of nationally important infrastructure including data centres (reported 4 September) [S8]

Politicians and organisations

  • Cllr Jeremy Kite, leader, Dartford Borough Council (opposed)
  • Jim Dickson MP, Dartford (called for national debate; said Southfleet is entirely inappropriate)
  • Cllr Maxine Fothergill, Kent County Council (Restore Britain): 'staggering proposal'
  • Cllr Perry Cole, Hartley Parish Council (water supply concerns)
  • Cllr Michael Brown (Reform UK): criticised bypassing the local planning authority

Claims

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

  • Clearstone (as reported by Kent Online, 7 July 2026) (developer): Creates 700+ construction jobs and 400+ permanent jobs [S4]
  • Clearstone project page (developer): Average 750 construction workers a year over three years; 420 net additional on-site operational jobs; up to 650 construction workers recruited locally subject to availability [S3]
  • Clearstone (as reported by Kent Online) (developer): GBP3bn+ investment; operational from 2030 if approved; 40-year lifespan [S4] [S8]
  • Trade press commentary (Bruno Digital) (other): Grid connection is the binding constraint on delivery; Clearstone has about 900MW in development across the UK [S9]
  • Cllr Jeremy Kite, leader of Dartford Borough Council (council): The proposal is 'totally unacceptable'; the council has told the developer it does not want it [S2]
  • Jim Dickson MP, Dartford (other): Southfleet is 'entirely inappropriate' for the facility [S8]

Campaigns

  • Resident petition (Samantha Plotter) opposing the Southfleet / Ebbsfleet AI data centre

Sources

  1. [S1] Data Centre Campus, New Barn Road, Dartford: Section 35 Direction, Planning Act 2008. GOV.UK (MHCLG), 1 July 2026. Level 1 source.
  2. [S2] Clearstone wants to build AI data centre on fruit fields between Southfleet and Northfleet. Kent Online, 18 August 2026. Level 4 source.
  3. [S3] Ebbsfleet AI Data Centre Campus. Clearstone Energy. Level 3 source.
  4. [S4] Clearstone reveal plans for AI data centre off New Barn Road, between Northfleet and Southfleet. Kent Online, 7 July 2026. Level 4 source.
  5. [S5] The data centre that skipped Dartford. Kent Current, 3 July 2026. Level 4 source.
  6. [S6] MHCLG section 35 direction: Dartford AI data centre campus treated as development of national significance requiring a DCO. LexisNexis UK, 2 July 2026. Level 5 source.
  7. [S7] Data Centres: 'in or out' as Nationally Significant Infrastructure?. Lichfields, 24 July 2026. Level 6 source.
  8. [S8] Dartford MP Jim Dickson calls for national debate on AI data centre sites. Kent Online, 4 September 2026. Level 4 source.
  9. [S9] Clearstone's 300MW Ebbsfleet Campus Wins Nationally Significant Status. Bruno Digital. Level 5 source.
  10. [S10] Kent village fights plan for 145-acre AI data centre. Resultsense, 13 July 2026. Level 5 source.