McLaren Construction has been appointed to lead the delivery of a £1bn hyperscale data centre development for US-based developer Corscale at Iver, Buckinghamshire, marking another major investment in the UK’s rapidly growing digital infrastructure sector.
Working alongside MEP specialist Phoenix ME, McLaren has secured a pre-construction services agreement for the 14-acre Court Lane site, located adjacent to the M25. The scheme will transform an industrial estate into a state-of-the-art data centre campus designed to meet increasing demand for cloud computing and artificial intelligence infrastructure.
Enabling works are scheduled to commence on 1 July and will include site clearance, utility diversions and extensive remediation activities ahead of the main construction phase.
The development will comprise two hyperscale data centre buildings and a dedicated 140MVA substation, creating a significant new hub within West London’s established data centre corridor. Once operational, the campus will add 140MW of capacity to a market experiencing sustained growth driven by digital services and AI technologies.
The wider project team includes Gensler as architect, Cundall as MEP designer and L&P Group providing engineering support.
A key element of the early works programme will be the relocation of two 36-inch Affinity Water mains that currently cross the site. This infrastructure work will pave the way for the full remediation and preparation of the site ahead of construction.
Julian Michalski, head of development for Corscale Europe, said: “This is by design an exceptional collaboration of a tier one team.
“It brings a combination of expertise and experience – each with a strong track record in complex, mission-critical environments – to deliver superior quality, programme certainty and technical assurance at every stage, ensuring we meet programme deadlines and our practical completion date in late 2029.”
David McDonnell, managing director for data centres at McLaren Construction, said the project would require advanced construction methods and technologies to satisfy the increasingly sophisticated requirements of hyperscale operators.
The Court Lane site is currently occupied by a variety of industrial uses, including recycling facilities, waste transfer operations, concrete and aggregate storage yards, vehicle compounds and distribution businesses. Its redevelopment reflects the continuing shift in land use across parts of West London as demand for strategically located data centre capacity intensifies.
Practical completion is targeted for late 2029, when the new campus is expected to become a major addition to the UK’s digital infrastructure network.
