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Data centers

Amazon Proposes £8 Billion Data Centre Expansion in Buckinghamshire

Strategic Insights

— 2 min read

Amazon has submitted plans to demolish the existing buildings at the Ridgeway Distribution Centre in Iver, Buckinghamshire, and replace them with a massive data facility. The new centre would cover 30,523 square metres, featuring a generator yard with 27 backup generators, four water tanks, and a new internal road layout. The scheme is part of Amazon's £8 billion UK investment programme to build and operate data centres from 2024 to 2028.

Construction of the new data centre is expected to support around 350 direct jobs and generate almost £48 million in economic output during the building phase. Once operational, the site would reportedly contribute £1.8 million a year in business rates, with nearly half of that going to Buckinghamshire Council. Amazon claims the project would significantly reduce traffic, with a 95 per cent cut in heavy goods vehicle (HGV) traffic and a 50 per cent reduction in light goods vehicle (LGV) traffic compared to current operations.

However, environmental concerns have been raised by the Chiltern Green party, with press officer David Hughes questioning the project's environmental costs. "It's wild that Amazon would extol the supposed environmental virtues of its proposed new data center, given the vast energy and water usage the building would demand once it's operational," he said. The project has sparked debate about the environmental and economic implications of large-scale data centre developments.

Key Takeaways:

  • Amazon plans to demolish the existing buildings at the Ridgeway Distribution Centre in Iver, Buckinghamshire, and replace them with a 30,523-square-metre data facility.
  • The scheme is part of Amazon's £8 billion UK investment programme to build and operate data centres from 2024 to 2028.
  • Construction would support around 350 direct jobs and generate almost £48 million in economic output during the building phase.
  • Once operational, the site would contribute £1.8 million a year in business rates, with nearly half of that going to Buckinghamshire Council.
  • Amazon claims the project would cut HGV traffic by 95 per cent and LGV traffic by half compared to current operations.
  • Environmental concerns have been raised by the Chiltern Green party, with press officer David Hughes questioning the project's environmental costs.
  • The project would have a skeleton crew after construction, with most of the work being automated.
  • Amazon pays little to no tax in the UK and is renowned for its aggressive and well-documented tax avoidance.

Statistics:

  • 30,523 square metres: the size of the proposed data facility
  • 350: the number of direct jobs supported by the construction of the data centre
  • £48 million: the economic output generated during the building phase
  • £1.8 million: the annual business rates contribution once the site is operational
  • 95 per cent: the reduction in HGV traffic claimed by Amazon
  • 50 per cent: the reduction in LGV traffic claimed by Amazon

Sources:

  • Buckinghamshire Council (no date)
  • Amazon (no date)
  • Chiltern Green party (no date)
  • MCA Architects (no date)

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