Local politicians are under pressure to explain how they will balance the economic promise of a major information centre in Wokingham against stark warnings over its environmental impact.
A consortium of consultants is advancing plans for a 72MW IT data centre at the Microsoft campus in Thames Valley Park.
They have presented the scheme as a transformative investment, claiming it would secure the future of an “underused” site and reinforce the area’s status as a leading technology hub.
They argue the project aligns squarely with national priorities, describing data centres as “critical national infrastructure” essential to economic growth and the UK’s digital resilience.
The facility, they say, would power everything from banking and healthcare systems to streaming and cloud computing, while delivering up to 245 construction jobs, at least 115 permanent roles, and more than £200 million in investment.
But these claims are now being robustly challenged.
Ahead of a council meeting tonight (Thursday), former councillor and energy expert Katrin Harding has demanded clarity on how such a proposal would be assessed – particularly given the inclusion of on-site power generation.
Her intervention throws a spotlight on whether councillors are equipped to properly weigh the trade-offs involved.
Ms Harding does not dispute the importance of digital infrastructure, but she warned the scale of the proposal is alarming.
“If the data centre really uses 72 megawatts, that’s twice the peak output of the planned Barkham Solar Farm – like running 20,000 kettles at once,” she said, underlining the extraordinary energy demand.
At the heart of her concern is the proposed reliance on natural gas.
“At the moment, the power source is not renewable… what they’re proposing is that it would use natural gas,” she said, raising the prospect that the site could become the borough’s single largest source of greenhouse gas emissions.
While the developers point to potential heat reuse and a commitment to biodiversity net gain, Ms Harding argueed these assurances fall short.
“More modelling is definitely needed… particularly during heat waves,” she said, warning that releasing waste heat from the roof could still damage nearby communities and ecosystems.
She stressed that the lost opportunity is significant.
“That heat could power 20,000 homes,” she said, at a time when many households are struggling with rising energy costs.
Despite the consortium’s insistence that the scheme will strengthen Wokingham’s economic future, Ms Harding says critical details remain unclear.
“There’s a lot of info missing … I’m very concerned about the carbon and the local heat impacts,” she said, adding that there is “a huge opportunity” to do far more with the energy produced.
She also cast doubt on the promoters themselves, describing them as “just a collection of consultants at this stage” rather than a long-term operator.
With national policy pushing rapid expansion of digital infrastructure, the question facing councillors is whether the benefits claimed can genuinely outweigh the environmental costs – or whether key risks are being underestimated.
