Amazon has secured planning approval for a major data center located beside the M25 in Iver, Buckinghamshire, despite ongoing concerns regarding potential increases in local air pollution.
The UK facility will replace 17 existing industrial and warehouse structures at the Ridgeway industrial complex with an 18-acre computing hub and supporting infrastructure for Amazon operations.
Buckinghamshire Council approved the proposal after determining that the demand for data centers, alongside the economic benefits and anticipated reduction in traffic, outweighed environmental objections.
Air Quality Concerns Persist
The site is already subject to official air pollution restrictions, intensifying scrutiny over emissions from equipment necessary for maintaining continuous power supplies during daily operations.
Environmental health officers cautioned that 27 backup generators could emit pollutants during testing and maintenance, although predictive models suggested negligible impacts at nearby locations.
The generators are primarily expected to operate on processed vegetable fuel, with diesel reserved for instances where the primary fuel cannot be safely used on-site.
Local representatives voiced concerns over traffic, pollution, and the necessary improvements to pedestrian routes surrounding the development.
A legal agreement mandates that Amazon provide £600,382 for measures designed to offset additional pollution linked to the development and its ongoing operations.
The same agreement also requires the company to establish a plan for monitoring emissions from the site’s generators.
Amazon further agreed to allocate £73,000 for enhancements to public walking routes, though the council declined to comment following the formal approval of the plans.
The main structure will stand approximately 20 metres (65ft) tall, with the scheme also encompassing a substation, water tanks, a generator yard, security fencing, and parking.
This project follows earlier planning disputes involving other proposed data centers in Iver, reflecting a history of local disagreement over similar developments.
Buckinghamshire Council previously rejected a different proposed facility at the Court Lane industrial site, a decision later overturned by the housing secretary.
Amazon Development Follows Earlier Planning Disputes
Government action earlier this year acknowledged that a prior approval for a nearby facility at the Woodlands Park landfill had been incorrectly granted by local officials.
These previous disputes provide context for the latest decision, which introduces another large computing operation within the broader Iver area.
Planning documents estimate the Amazon project could generate 60 permanent jobs at the facility, in addition to temporary construction employment for workers and contractors.
The project is also projected to reduce vehicle movements, a factor officers weighed when evaluating the development’s environmental and infrastructure impacts.
The council required improved pedestrian routes, including the canal path, and requested the use of cleaner vehicles during construction.
Amazon declined to issue a statement, while Buckinghamshire Council stated, “We don’t have anything further to add,” following the public announcement of the approval.
Via BBC
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