An inquiry date has been set by the Planning Inspectorate regarding controversial proposals for a new data centre in Abbots Langley.
The plans were initially rejected by Three Rivers District Council (TRDC) in January of this year as the site was on green belt land.
However, the current Labour government’s new changes to planning policy could be set to explicitly encourage data centre construction for the first time.
As well as that, in the week following her election, the new Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner stated that she herself would have the final say on the appeals decision.
The appeal inquiry, submitted by applicants Greystoke Land, will begin on Tuesday, October 8.
If the decision is reversed, the 84,000-square-metre centre, with two 20-metre buildings, would be built on land located north of Mansion House Farm on Bedmond Road, alongside relevant infrastructure and a country park.
The intervention of the Deputy Prime Minister has shone a national spotlight on the village, with the Financial Times stating that Abbots Langley had become a “flashpoint” for the government’s UK-wide push on building new data centres.
There are already proposals for similar developments to be built in Buckinghamshire and Northumberland, the former of which is also on green belt land and will be decided by Miss Rayner MP.
As for the Abbots Langley site, Leader of TRDC councillor Stephen Giles-Medhurst said to Abbots News: “To me, it looks increasing likely that no matter what evidence is put forward that the site is unsuitable here, it could be so allocated.”
Greystoke Land has been contacted for comment.
Photo credit: Pegasus Group
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