Official Petition Calling for a Pause on Data Centre Development - Nov 26 Deadline
Data centres are often presented as drivers of economic growth and digital transformation. Yet Slough is already the second largest data centre hub in the world, behind only Northern Virginia in the United States. Many residents are left asking: what has Slough gained in return?
Instead, residents have raised concerns about increasing pressure on the electricity grid and water supply, continuous noise from cooling equipment and backup generators, and the loss of strategic development land. The former AkzoNobel site, where outline planning permission had been secured for up to 1,000 homes, is now being developed as a hyperscale data centre.
Most concerning still, research has suggested that clusters of data centres can contribute to an urban heat island effect, with nearby temperatures increasing by as much as 9°C. The Guardian has described Slough as an "experiment" in the concentration of data centres.
Residents have already raised concerns about the impact of data centres on their daily lives, but there has never been a comprehensive independent assessment of these reported impacts. Equally, the cumulative short and long-term effects of hosting one of the world's largest concentrations of data centres remain poorly understood.
With the life expectancy of Slough residents already lower than the national average, we cannot afford to further risk our health and quality of life.
Slough should not become an experiment.
We are calling on Slough Borough Council to pause the approval of new data centre developments until an independent assessment has been carried out into their cumulative impact on residents, infrastructure and the environment.
If you believe Slough deserves growth that puts residents first, please add your name to this petition.
This ePetition runs from 17/08/2026 to 16/11/2026.