Plans Unveiled for Major Data Centre Near Reading

Farmland south of the M4 between junctions 12 (Theale) and 11 (Reading) could be turned into a large data centre and logistics hub.

Landowners have suggested more than 210.89 hectares immediately south of the M4 and Green Park for a data centre, warehouses and logistics - listed as site reference 6SH113 in Wokingham Borough Council's Local Plan submissions.

The land sits in Great Lea Common in Shinfield Parish.

Earlier plans for a 15,000-home 'Grazeley Green Garden Town' on nearby land were scrapped after the Ministry of Defence objected because the area falls in the Detailed Emergency Planning Zone for the Atomic Weapons Establishment at Burghfield.

The MOD said it would be hard to manage shelter and safety for thousands of people; the DEPZ also led to the rejection of a plan for 148 homes north of Church Lane.

It is understood the land is being proposed for data centre, warehouse and logistics use now because these uses would pose less risk.

Elsewhere in the borough, plans emerged this year for a data centre to replace three Microsoft offices at Thames Valley Park in Earley.

The Wokingham 'call for sites' for the Local Plan 2045 is closed, but the council is running a scoping consultation on key planning issues, opportunities and engagement.

Take part on the Engage Wokingham website: https://engage.wokingham.gov.uk/en-GB/projects/scoping-consultation-wokingham-borough-local-plan-2045. The consultation closes at 11:59pm on Monday, November 16.

James Aldridge, Local Democracy Reporter