I oppose the M40 data centre between Beaconsfield and Gerrards Cross
A US investment firm, SDC Capital Partners, wants to build a data centre campus on the old Wapseys Wood landfill, between the A40 Oxford Road and the M40, about 2.5km east of Beaconsfield and 2km west of Gerrards Cross.
It is not a small building. The developer's own figures to the Planning Inspectorate describe up to three data centre buildings, around 300MW of computing load, and an on-site energy centre that would burn gas to generate an estimated 250 to 350MW of electricity, with a gas connection of up to around 900MW. That is a power station, as well as a data centre, on the edge of our town.
I oppose it. This is the wrong place for a development of this scale, and our residents should not be asked to live with the consequences.
My concerns
- Noise. Data centres run day and night. Cooling plant, back-up generators and a gas energy centre bring a constant hum to homes and countryside that are quiet today.
- Health and air quality. Burning gas on this scale, next to the M40, adds to air pollution our residents already breathe. I want to see the full health assessment, not a summary.
- Traffic. Years of construction lorries on the A40, the A355 and the roads through Beaconsfield and Gerrards Cross, which are already at capacity.
- Health and safety. Building on a former landfill raises real questions about ground gas, contamination and fire safety, with a large gas plant on the same site.
- The Green Belt. This is open land between two towns. Once it is built on, it does not come back.
- Few local jobs. As I said at committee in July, data centres by nature generate very few permanent jobs, while consuming huge amounts of power and water.
What I have done
At the Growth, Infrastructure and Housing Select Committee I asked how data centres had been counted in the county's employment needs, and what would stop one taking over land set aside for jobs (watch, 10 July 2026).
In September I went further. Because larger data centres are treated as nationally significant infrastructure, the decision will be made by the Secretary of State in Whitehall, not by Buckinghamshire Council. I asked the council to confirm what say it will have, and what it will put to the Secretary of State on power, water, transport and the Green Belt (watch, 23 September 2026). This scheme is a test case for our county, and it will not be the last.
If it goes ahead regardless
I will keep opposing it. But if Whitehall overrules us, I will fight for the strongest possible protections: binding limits on noise, day and night; independent monitoring of air quality; construction traffic kept off our local roads; full investigation and safe handling of the landfill; and real, lasting benefits for Beaconsfield and Gerrards Cross, not just a landscaping scheme.
How you can have your say
The developer's consultation is open now, and closes at 11:59pm on Tuesday 27 October 2026. This is your chance to put your concerns to them directly, and I urge you to respond.
- Read the developer's consultation and plans on their website, including the documents.
- Give your feedback to the developer before 27 October.
- Follow the official process on the Planning Inspectorate's project page. The developer expects to submit its application in January 2027. Once it is accepted, anyone can register as an interested party and have their views considered.
These are the developer's and the Planning Inspectorate's own websites, not mine. Please read them for the full detail.
I will post every step here. In the meantime, please tell me what worries you most, so I can put your concerns on the record.