Videos and CGIs have been released detailing what a massive data centre near Watford would involve.

On January 18, next year, Three Rivers District Council is expected to vote on a proposed data centre spanning the area of 12 football pitches next to Bedmond Road, Abbots Langley, and the M25.

In support of its plan, which would involve an investment of around £1 billion, firm Greystoke Land has launched a website encouraging people to get in touch with their local councillors.

The website claims that the plan would create 260 operational jobs with average salaries between £46,000 and £54,000 and support thousands of other jobs across the country by storing and processing business’ data.

“£12 million will be set aside for the education and training of local people,” it adds.

An additional community benefit packaged with the proposal is a landscaped country park in adjacent land, which is currently private but would be made accessible to walkers.

Watford Observer: The site and country park.The site and country park. (Image: Greystoke Land)

The website adds: “If you’d like to see more employment, education, and ecology in Three Rivers, and a new country park (fully accessible to everyone and their dogs) then let your councillor know.”

These massive data centres, planning documents featured on the site claim, are necessary for the UK to address the requirements of the rise of AI and machine learning. They also need to be within a certain area of each other as different sites have "parent-child" relationships in terms of how they interact, meaning the possible locations are very restricted.

There are apparently “no effective alternatives to hyperscale data centres to meet the need within the UK” and “this development cannot be serviced or addressed in alternative locations” because of the need to balance it with other centres.

View the CGI "flythrough" here

Two videos were also uploaded, a CGI “flythrough” shows what the data centre would look like and a second video offers a tour of the existing site while Sam Matthew from Greystoke details the plan’s benefits.

However, it also acknowledges that “there is a catch”, because it is in the green belt, and objections have been submitted by locals over this same issue.

Bedmond Road neighbours and others nearby have raised concerns over the “sheer size” of the development, which some claim is “totally unsuitable” in a rural village setting.

Objectors have also raised traffic issues and generally increasing “urbanisation” of the area.

Watford Observer: CGI of how the data centre would look.CGI of how the data centre would look. (Image: Pegasus Group/Greystoke Land/Three Rivers District Council)