A site with approval for a 269,000 sq ft data centre in north London is expected to come to market imminently.
Linden Hill plans to sell the 1.2-acre site on North Acton Road, NW10, to a data centre operator, which will then take the scheme forward. The site is currently occupied by three vacant industrial buildings.
The Old Oak and Park Royal Development Corporation’s planning committee this week unanimously approved outline planning permission for Linden Hill’s proposals.
In a planning statement for the scheme, Linden Hill said the site’s proximity to telecoms infrastructure along the nearby railway line and canal make the site well suited for a data centre.
“Compared to the demand, there are few similar sites available which meet the required characteristics for such a development, and therefore this site presents an important opportunity,” the statement read. “It will assist in reinforcing west London as being the key sub-market for London/Europe and further the significance as a place to do business.”
It added: “The site presents a scarce and important opportunity for the London Borough of Ealing, the OPDC and UK plc to protect and extend its dominance of the European data centre market. This will help to protect and enhance London’s world city status, particularly in the IT, finance and banking sectors. This has added importance because of the uncertain future Britain may have in the coming years following our exit from the European Union.”
The scheme will now be referred to the mayor of London.
The approval comes as the OPDC gears up for development at the 1,600-acre regeneration site. It aims to deliver 25,000 homes and 9.4m sq ft of commercial space at London’s largest regeneration project. The OPDC has lodged a revised local plan with the planning inspector and is currently working up a bid for up to £200m in grant finance.
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