Data centre set to replace Microsoft headquarters

HomeNewsUS & CanadaUKUK PoliticsEnglandN. IrelandN. Ireland PoliticsScotlandScotland PoliticsWalesWales PoliticsAfricaAsiaChinaIndiaAustraliaEuropeLatin AmericaMiddle EastIn PicturesBBC InDepthBBC VerifySportBusinessWorld of BusinessTechnology of BusinessNYSE Opening BellTechnologyWatch DocumentariesArtificial IntelligenceIntelligence RevolutionAI v the MindTech NowHealthWatch DocumentariesCultureWatch DocumentariesFilm & TVMusicArt & DesignStyleBooksEntertainment NewsArtsWatch DocumentariesArts in MotionTravelWatch DocumentariesDestinationsAfricaAntarcticaAsiaAustralia and PacificCaribbean & BermudaCentral AmericaEuropeMiddle EastNorth AmericaSouth AmericaWorld’s TableCulture & ExperiencesAdventuresThe SpeciaListTo the Ends of the Earth EarthWatch DocumentariesScienceNatural WondersClimate SolutionsSustainable BusinessGreen LivingAudioPodcast CategoriesRadioAudio FAQsVideoWatch DocumentariesBBC MaestroDiscover the WorldLiveLive NewsLive SportDocumentariesSite searchHomeNewsSportBusinessTechnologyHealthCultureArtsTravelEarthAudioVideoLiveDocumentariesWeatherNewslettersData centre set to replace Microsoft headquarters2 hours agoShareSaveAdd as preferred on GoogleKatie FrenchLocal Democracy Reporting ServiceMapeleyProperty owner Mapeley bought the Microsoft site in 2005Plans for a £200m data centre on a Microsoft's former UK headquarters site have been submitted for review.

It would see three office buildings at Thames Valley Park in Earley demolished to make way for the scheme, with its main buildings reaching up to 30.5m (100ft) high – roughly the height of a 10-storey block of flats.

Property owner Mapeley submitted the application to Wokingham Borough Council, with a planning decision expected by March.

The plans have attracted mixed public views, with some raising concerns about the environmental impact, while others call the campus a suitable location for the digital infrastructure.

The data centre would include on-site power generation equipment, backup generators and office space.

Planning documents say the completed facility could require up to 110MW of electricity but just 1.8MW of National Grid capacity is currently available to the site.

Developers propose using natural gas to generate electricity on site while waiting for the local electricity network to be upgraded and have also raised the prospect of using heat generated by the data centre to supply a future district heating network in Reading.

The application says this could eventually provide heat to local destinations including the Royal Berkshire Hospital, the University of Reading and local schools and would create up to 65 jobs once operational.

Mapeley bought the Microsoft site in 2005 and has proposed the scheme as an investment in Britain's growing digital infrastructure network.

Despite a reduction in the number of parking spaces from 1,092 to 72, developers claim the data centre would generate about 1,700 fewer vehicle movements each day than the site's previous office use.

Some members of the public have raised concerns raised about noise, heat generation, carbon emissions, wildlife and the site's proximity to Thames Valley Park Nature Reserve.

A biodiversity assessment submitted with the application claims the development would deliver a biodiversity net gain of more than 22%, exceeding the government's 10% requirement.

Microsoft is due to move into the existing HERE building, also in Thames Valley Park by the end of 2027.