A major county border data centre has been given the green light by Bucks Council after it was consulted on plans.

The 90,614sqm data centre, offices, substation, and parking at the former AkzoNobel paint factory site on Wexham Road has been approved by Slough Borough Council.

Councillors had branded it a 'monster' data hub, and one objected to the proposed development's height.

The site had previously been approved for 1,000 new homes, but the cash-strapped Slough authority had to back out of the proposals due to its financial struggles and later sold the site in 2022 to Equinix for £143.75 million.

During the planning process, the council offered Bucks the opportunity to consult on the proposal due to its proximity to the county border.

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The site on Wexham Road lies in Berks, but it is on the edge of Wexham, which lies within the Bucks boundary, near Stoke Poges and Gerrards Cross.

On June 4 2025, Bucks Council's comments on the plans were requested with a 21-day deadline.

The council responded on January 30 2026.

It stated: "This Council has considered the above application and raises NO OBJECTION to the application subject to your authority ensuring that the proposal complies with all relevant policies contained in the adopted Development Plan and guidance contained in the National Planning Policy Framework"

In November 2025, plans were approved by the Slough council.

Before the hub is built, a string of conditions must also be met, including submitting a construction and environmental management plan.

Developers believe sufficient power to run the data centre in full may only be available by 2038.

The proposal states that it would be built over a period of 20 years.

It adds: "Outline proposals create a framework for the new data centre campus, looking to regenerate this disused central area of the borough which is of strategic relevance for the creation of a high quality commercial neighbourhood and related job opportunities."

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A Section 106 agreement has been agreed, whereby a financial contribution will be made to mitigate the impact of the data centre on Slough.

Another part of the former AkzoNobel site is already being used for a data hub development.

Slough has 40 data centres and has been described as the world's largest data hub in the world.

Speaking to the BBC, James Tyler, UK managing director for Equinix, which runs six sites in the town and planned the major AkzoNobel development, called one of the most "strategically important" areas on the planet.

He stated: "Slough was, for the past 100-plus years, an industrial area, with lots of factories producing things.

"As those industries faded out there was a lot of power here, and data centres need a lot of power.

"But also what we need is lots of fibre networks to connect all these data centres, and a lot of fibre routes in the UK run through and past Slough."