Corscale has appointed McLaren Construction and Phoenix ME to begin predevelopment work on a 140MW data centre in Iver, Buckinghamshire. The project is part of a new campus on a 14-acre site in West London's main data centre corridor.
The work will proceed under a pre-construction services agreement for the Court Lane scheme, where Corscale plans to build two data centre buildings and a dedicated 140MVA substation. The site, alongside the M25, is currently occupied by an industrial estate that includes waste transfer, metal recycling, aggregate storage, garages and large vehicle storage.
Early work will focus on site clearance and enabling works, the relocation of two 36-inch water mains by Affinity Water, and a full remediation strategy. This marks the first stage in converting the brownfield site into a large-scale digital infrastructure campus.
Gensler has led the design, with Cundall handling MEP design and L&P Group providing engineering support. The plans include architecture and cladding intended to sit more sympathetically alongside a nearby Grade II listed farmhouse, while also taking biodiversity into account.
Corscale is targeting practical completion in the fourth quarter of 2029. That schedule places the project among a new wave of major UK data centre developments aimed at meeting rising demand for computing capacity around London and the Thames Valley.
Julian Michalski, Head of Development, Corscale Europe, described the delivery team in a statement on the appointment.
"This is, by design, an exceptional collaboration of a Tier One team. It brings together expertise and experience, with each partner having a strong track record in complex, mission-critical environments, to deliver superior quality, programme certainty and technical assurance at every stage. This will help ensure we meet programme deadlines and achieve practical completion in late 2029," said Julian Michalski, Head of Development, Corscale Europe.
Site change
The Court Lane site's existing industrial uses underline the scale of the redevelopment. Before main construction can begin, the team must complete clearance, utility diversions and remediation on land that has supported a mix of heavy industrial activity.
Such preparatory work is increasingly important in the UK data centre market, where developers are seeking suitable land close to power, fibre networks and transport links while managing planning constraints and local environmental considerations. Iver has become a key location because of its proximity to Slough and other established clusters that already host large concentrations of data infrastructure.
McLaren will act as main contractor, while Phoenix ME will serve as MEP delivery partner. The appointments bring together companies with experience in complex data centre and technical building projects, as developers place greater emphasis on construction sequencing, electrical systems and utility integration.
David McDonnell, Managing Director for Data Centres, McLaren Construction, said the growing scale of data centre projects was shaping how contractors approached delivery.
"As data centres become larger, more powerful and more complex, we rely even more on the latest construction technology to achieve the project management and precision this design requires. We are proud to be partnering with Corscale and this outstanding project team on what promises to be a landmark scheme, and we look forward to progressing works on site," said David McDonnell.
Growing demand
The planned campus adds to a pipeline of new UK facilities designed for customers with large computing and storage needs. Demand continues to grow as businesses expand their use of cloud services, artificial intelligence workloads and data-intensive applications, increasing pressure on operators and developers to secure land and electricity supply in and around London.
At 140MW, the Iver project represents a substantial addition to regional capacity. The inclusion of a dedicated 140MVA substation highlights the importance of energy infrastructure in projects of this scale, particularly in areas where grid access has become a major constraint on new development.
McLaren has delivered data centres in the UK and Middle East across hyperscale, Class 4, co-location and customer-specific formats, with past projects in London, Surrey, Oxfordshire, Berkshire, Hertfordshire, Dubai and Abu Dhabi. For Corscale, the Iver scheme will test its ability to move a technically demanding site through early works and into full construction on schedule.
The first visible changes at Court Lane will come through clearance, utility works and remediation before the two-building campus begins to take shape, with practical completion targeted for late 2029.