Google Waltham Cross data centre
Google's first UK data centre, on a 33-acre site at Waltham Cross, Hertfordshire, which Google bought in October 2020. Construction of the $1bn (about £790m) facility was announced on 18 January 2024. It was opened by the Chancellor on 16 September 2025 as part of Google's two-year £5bn UK investment, to support Google Cloud, Workspace, Search and Maps, including AI services. Google gives no capacity figure. The site is Maxwells Farm West (Theobalds Business Park), Cheshunt, in the Borough of Broxbourne; the planning applicant for the data centre was Global Infrastructure UK Ltd.
Key facts
- Operator / developer
- Location
- Waltham Cross, East of England, United Kingdom
- Status
- Operational
- Facility type
- Data centre
- AI relevance
- Not stated
- Announced
- 18 January 2024
Planning
- Council
- Broxbourne Borough Council
- Planning route
- Local planning (TCPA)
- Planning reference
- 07/18/1181/O (outline); 07/23/0361/RM (data centre reserved matters)
- Planning decision
- Committee resolved to grant reserved matters on 12 Sep 2023. Decision-notice dates not confirmed.
- Land area
- 13.4 ha
Timeline
Broxbourne Planning and Regulatory Committee resolved to grant reserved matters 07/23/0361/RM for the data centre (Phase 3, Maxwells Farm West) under outline 07/18/1181/O, subject to drainage, noise and air quality matters and a unilateral obligation.
SourceEnvironment Agency advertised bespoke permit application EPR/ZP3128SD/A001 by Global Infrastructure UK Limited (combustion plant over 50MWth) for the data centre at Maxwells Farm West, Cheshunt EN8 8XH.
Source
Sources
- Google opens Waltham Cross data centre as part of two-year £5 billion investment in the UK
Secondary source · Google (PR Newswire)
- Waltham Cross data center
Secondary source · Google
- Our $1 billion investment in a new UK data centre
Secondary source · Google · 2024-01-18
- Planning and Regulatory Committee, 12 September 2023: agenda and decisions
Secondary source · Borough of Broxbourne · 2023-09-12
- Officer report, 07/23/0361/RM
Secondary source · Borough of Broxbourne · 2023-09-12
- EN8 8XH, Global Infrastructure UK Limited: environmental permit application advertisement EPR/ZP3128SD/A001
Secondary source · Environment Agency (GOV.UK) · 2024-05-24
- Google set to build new data centre in Cheshunt
Secondary source · Broxbourne Borough Council · 2024-01-22
Last verified
3 October 2026
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