UK deputy prime minister Angela Rayner has overruled local councillors and given the green light to a £1 billion ($1.32bn) data center in Abbots Langley, Hertfordshire.

The 96MW development on Green Belt land off Bedmond Road, near Abbots Langley, was rejected by Three Rivers District Council in January 2024, but following a public inquiry last year, Rayner has reversed the decision.

Rayner made her decision based on a report from planning inspector Thomas Hatfield, who recommended that the development, proposed by property developer Greystoke Land, be given the go-ahead.

Councillors rejected the scheme due to concerns over its environmental impact and because it involves building on the green belt.

But in a decision notice published on Monday, Rayner said the benefits of the scheme outweighed the drawbacks.

“The secretary of state notes that the development would provide around three percent of the forecasted growth in data center capacity need across London between 2004 and 2029,” the decision notice said, going on to add: “A failure to provide enough sites to meet the need for new data centers could result in investment being lost to other well-established markets outside the UK.”

The planning inspector said concerns about the visual impact of the development would likely be ameliorated by the construction of a planted buffer around the 84,000 sqm (904,170 sq ft) campus.

However, local councillors have reacted with dismay to the decision. Speaking to the Watford Observer, Abbots Langley councillor Sara Bedford said the news was “extremely disappointing.” Bedford said: “It appears that the much-prized green belt fields around Abbots Langley are now classified as grey belt and open for development.

“This development does not bring any advantages to the village, but will see noise, pollution, and the loss of open space.”

Since taking office last year, the UK government has been keen to free up so-called “grey belt” plots – green belt land close to existing infrastructure such as motorways – for data center developments. The Abbots Langley site is adjacent to the M25.

Speaking at the time of its initial application, Greystoke said: “The UK needs large data centers to support economic growth and digital leadership. Building one here in Abbots Langley will bring hundreds of well-paid jobs to the area, £12m ($15.3m) investment in education and training, and a new country park.

“Failing to build here will mean employers and investors will look to Frankfurt, Amsterdam, and Paris instead.”

It is the second time Rayner has stepped in to allow a data center development in the face of local opposition. In December, she approved a 140MW scheme planned for the Court Lane Industrial Estate in Buckinghamshire that had previously been rejected by local officials.