Owing to the period of public mourning the September meeting of the Parish Council had to be cancelled, but with the extended deadline for commenting on the application for the data centre’s sub-station change of location due within days, a group of Parish and Buckinghamshire Councillors held a Zoom call with the developer’s representatives.
The meeting opened with a minute’s silence.
It is important that the local community understand the context of the development at Haw Lane. Planning permission was originally granted in 2008 and demolition work started soon afterwards, but work was stopped after the old Molins buildings had been demolished and has only recently been completed.
Ownership of the site is due to pass within the coming weeks to a specialist infrastructure company who operate 50 data centres worldwide.
The new owners expressed a wish to engage with the local community, initially via the Parish Council, and to this end the Parish Council has offered to host a public meeting as soon as the transaction has been completed.
Cllr Phil Davidson will act as the initial point of contact for the Parish Council, and in the interim will work with Rees Westley of BCS Utilities who is project managing the initial phase of the construction.
Phase 1 which is the Substation construction and power supply is due to commence in late October 2022.
Power supply will be delivered to the data centre via underground trunking/cables and entails digging a trench from Amersham to the site in five simultaneous excavations along the route. The final stretch will be routed along the A4010 and then under the Haw Lane railway bridge which will require temporary traffic lights for an envisaged 4 week period and may involve a closure of up to 5 days in the latter stages of this phase.
The meeting also discussed access to Saunderton Station; the new potential owner views the proximity of the station as an asset with all possible routes to be explored for maximum benefit with least inconvenience and disruption.
It was stressed that the most intrusive stage of the project, excavating the site, has now been completed but as previously stated the company are keen to engage and as soon as the transfer of ownership has been concluded a public meeting will be held, which all parties are hopeful will be within weeks not months.
Please visit www.bledlow-cum-saundertonparishcouncil.org.uk and register for the Parish Council’s mailing list or follow the Parish Council’s Facebook page for further updates.