- Multiple new data center sites have been approved in London
- Concerns have been raised about how the sites will access electricity and water
- Data centers haven’t been accounted for in new UK water resource predictions
A new data center has been approved by Hounslow Council’s Planning Committee that will occupy a 12.2-acre brownfield site in the Haslemere Heathrow Estate.
The Council approved the site in July 2026 despite concerns surrounding the site’s demands for water and electricity.
The site will have a 80MVA (Megavolt-Amperes) high-capacity power connection that will supply the same amount of power as thousands of homes. While no details have been released about how much water the site will consume, other data centers in London have been requesting three million liters per day.
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Multiple data centers approved
Ealing Council also recently gave the go-ahead for a 52,000 square meter data center on Bridge Road in Southall, occupying the site of the former Honey Monster Food Factory. Four additional data centers on the nearby Southall Industrial Estate were approved in November 2025.
A recent report by the Greater London Authority (GLA) found that as of November 2025 there are 99 data centers operational in London, with a further 26 sites planned or awaiting approval – placing 80% of the UKs data centers within the capital.
This is placing enormous pressure on energy providers and water utilities, with the GLA further noting that there is approximately 10 times the current data center electricity capacity waiting for approval in the grid connection queue.
For the Hounslow site, the data center connection will be provided electricity by the National Energy System Operator via the Laleham Grid Supply Point. The site will not use electricity capacity already reserved for other developments in the area, such as housing.
As the UK battles one of the hottest summers on record, large swathes of England have been designated as in drought. Hosepipes and other non-essential water uses have been banned. But data centers have been designated as critical national infrastructure meaning they are not subject to water restrictions.
Water UK recently warned the government that water resource forecasts excluded the usage of data centers, meaning that plans to treble UK data center capacity by 2030 will need to consider greater investment in water sources.
Via BBC
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benedict.collins@futurenet.com (Benedict Collins)
