• The proposal would redevelop the former Langley Business Centre site in Slough
  • Existing outline permission supports data-centre use, but Microsoft must still submit and secure approval for its detailed plans

The fact

Microsoft has begun public consultation on a proposed data centre at the former Langley Business Centre in Slough. The company held community information sessions on 14 and 15 July 2026 and published consultation material and a feedback form. Microsoft says it intends to submit a full planning application after consulting residents and other stakeholders.

The site received outline planning permission for data-centre development in 2020 and is now being cleared. Microsoft says its plans remain in development. It has not announced the proposed IT capacity, construction schedule, opening date or final site design in the material published so far.

The assessment

The earlier outline permission establishes that the site can be considered for data-centre use, but it does not approve the facility Microsoft now wants to build. The company must still define the buildings, access arrangements and measures for managing construction and the site’s local effects in a full planning application. Consulting before that submission gives Microsoft an opportunity to change the design while it is still being prepared.

The practical issue is whether concerns raised by residents and local stakeholders lead to revisions that can be addressed before the council considers the application. Until those details are filed, the consultation does not establish what will be built or when work could begin.  For BTW readers, Langley has passed an early land-use stage rather than the full planning process. Microsoft’s application will show how it intends to turn the existing permission into a data-centre project that the council can assess and, if approved, the company can deliver.

What to watch

Microsoft’s planning application should set out the site layout, building scale, access arrangements and proposed construction timetable. Changes from the consultation material will show how local feedback shaped the design. Planning approval would still leave power delivery, construction, and commissioning ahead before the site could provide operating capacity.