Ealing Council will receive £17.7 million from a developer after approving a new data centre on the site of the former Honey Monster Food Factory on Bridge Road in Southall. The council insists the facility's high energy demands will not strain the existing local electricity grid.
Approval Amid New London Plan Guidelines
The data centre was approved on Thursday, just before new guidelines on data centres were published in the draft London Plan. These guidelines aim to balance economic benefits with environmental impact. However, Ealing Council stated that the application was determined based on current planning policies, noting the London Plan has not yet been adopted.
A council spokesperson said: “Ealing Council supports a coordinated approach to planning for data centres, electricity infrastructure, housing and economic growth, ensuring that development is aligned with wider community, environmental and economic objectives.”
Energy and Infrastructure Concerns
The proliferation of data centres across London, particularly in west London, has raised concerns about environmental impact, grid capacity, and water supply. Some housing projects in west London have been delayed due to grid capacity issues, partly attributed to the number of data centres. However, the Southall data centre will incorporate a 7,000-square-metre photovoltaic facade on its southern elevation to meet some energy needs.
The council spokesperson added: “Electricity capacity is a recognised issue across west London and was considered through the planning process. Applicants are required to demonstrate the necessary utility infrastructure can be provided to support a development and any required upgrades are subject to agreement with the infrastructure providers. Electricity capacity will not be coming from the existing local grid and applicants are required to source and reserve this outside of the existing grid capacity.”
The Greater London Authority recently reported that grid connection requests for new data centres total about ten times the capacity currently used by existing ones. Concerns persist about powering the dozens of proposed data centres alongside the approximately 100 already operating in London.
Project Details and Economic Benefits
The factory on the site was originally built in 1937 and ceased operations in 2016. It was demolished in 2022, leaving the site vacant. The new data centre, built by Cyrus One, will reach four storeys and encompass over 52,000 square metres of floor space.
Construction is expected to create 1,105 full-time jobs, with planning documents noting it will “support apprenticeship opportunities and generate local expenditure through worker spending on food, drink, accommodation and related services.” Once operational, the centre is projected to create 647 jobs with an annual wage bill of £37 million. Developers have committed to funding 25 full apprenticeships and multiple work placements during construction.
Financial Contributions and Community Benefits
The applicant has pledged £17.7 million in combined financial contributions. Over £2 million is earmarked for bus service enhancements, road safety, and active travel improvements along Bridge Road. The facility also safeguarded space to export waste heat to a future district heating network, potentially heating nearby buildings. More than £5.3 million is allocated for carbon offsetting, alongside funds for Ealing’s Air Quality Action Plan. The eastern elevation will feature a giant screen for community events.
An Ealing Council spokesperson said: “The planning committee considered a wide range of planning matters before reaching its decision on this application, including the development plan, technical evidence, consultation responses and all other material planning considerations. These included infrastructure, environmental impacts and potential effects on local residents. Decisions are made on the planning merits of each case and against the policy framework in place at the time. The proposal is planned to deliver significant economic and social benefits for the borough. It will bring a long-vacant brownfield site back into productive use, support more than 1,000 construction jobs and generate hundreds of jobs. The scheme makes a substantial financial contribution towards infrastructure and community benefits – more than £17 million – which will support transport improvements, active travel measures, air quality initiatives, carbon reduction projects, employment and skills programmes and other infrastructure to support sustainable growth. These measures are intended to ensure residents and businesses directly benefit from opportunities arising from the development.”
Traffic and Local Concerns
According to planning documents, the project will generate significantly less traffic than the cereal factory due to strict parking limits, with only 78 car parking spaces and 78 cycle parking spaces. The application received one formal objection and various community concerns about construction traffic, parking pressures, reliance on unapproved transport infrastructure, and fears of exacerbated anti-social behaviour in public spaces.
The approval is subject to standard planning conditions, finalisation of the Section 106 agreement for financial contributions to local projects, and a Stage 2 referral to the Mayor of London.
