Manor Farm and Land North of Wraysbury Reservoir , Poyle Road, Slough, SL3 0AA

Main issues, as the Inspector framed them

• Whether the proposed development is inappropriate when assessed against policies in the Development Plan and the Framework
• If inappropriate, the effect on openness and conflict with Green Belt purposes (a) and (b)
• Any other harm including landscape and visual effects, the Strategic Gap and Colne Valley Regional Park, availability of alternative sites, deliverability, effect on future Heathrow expansion, and effect on heritage assets
• What considerations weigh in favour of the development, including need, locational requirements, deliverability, economic impact, employment, skills, social benefits, climate change, biodiversity net gain and accessibility improvements
• Whether other considerations clearly outweigh any harm to the Green Belt and any other harm, and whether very special circumstances exist
• Whether the proposal would be in accordance with the Development Plan

What decided it

The overwhelming and unmet need for hyperscale data centre and BESS capacity in the Slough Availability Zone, combined with the absence of any suitable alternative site and the site's classification as grey belt land not constituting inappropriate development.

The substantial and significant benefits of meeting an overwhelming unmet need for data centre and BESS capacity, together with economic, climate and landscape benefits, outweighed the moderate and lesser harms to character, the Strategic Gap, the Colne Valley Regional Park and HAL's aspirations, and outweighed the less than substantial heritage harm to two listed buildings, such that the presumption in favour of sustainable development applied and permission was granted.