Planning Permission Secured for Didcot Data Campus

We’re pleased to share that hybrid planning permission has been secured for a new 197,000m² data campus at the former Didcot A Power Station Estate in Oxfordshire, on behalf of our client, RWE Generation UK.

This marks a major milestone in the transformation of the 100-acre brownfield site, once home to the coal-fired Didcot A Power Station, which was fully decommissioned and demolished between 2014 and 2020. Our involvement began in 2020 with early optioneering and continued through the preparation and submission of a hybrid application in 2022, working closely with officers and stakeholders across multiple disciplines and authorities.

The approved scheme will deliver a significant new piece of digital infrastructure within the heart of Oxfordshire’s Science Vale. It will enable the delivery of Oxfordshire County Council’s HIF1-funded Science Bridge Road; part of a strategic package of transport improvements that will unlock further growth in the area, including the emerging AI cluster at Culham.

Navigating alignment with the HIF1 scheme required close collaboration with Oxfordshire County Council, to ensure both the road and the campus could come forward independently or in tandem. The interdependencies, and the evolving political and procedural context, shaped the journey to determination, with planning permission for the road finally secured in December 2023 following a call-in and ministerial decision.

This latest milestone signals significant progress for the future of the site. We continue to advise RWE and their partners on next steps, including detailed submissions that will support the delivery of the main campus.