WEXHAM ROAD DEVELOPMENT SITE
SLOUGH'S NEW DATA CENTER
WHERE IS THE WEXHAM ROAD DEVELOPMENT SITE?
The site is the former Uxbridge Road Gas Works, at Wexham Road, Slough. It was previously used as a paint factory (by Akzo Nobel) and is now largely vacant. This development will occupy the northern half of the site. The Council’s local plan for Slough (Core Strategy 2008 and Proposals Map 2010) identifies the site as an “Existing Business Area” which means it is an important site for supporting the local economy.
WHAT WILL IT LOOK LIKE?
THE SITE WILL HOUSE:
- Two data center buildings
- A substation
- A security gatehouse
- A mechanical plant compound
WITH:
- An internal service road and parking
- New landscaping
- Access from Wexham Road
HOW LONG WILL IT TAKE?
ABOUT THE APPLICATION:
- We will be submitting the application in April
- Once submitted, the public will be able to review the proposals
- There will then be three weeks to submit comments to the council
- Then around four to six months for the application to be considered by the council and key stakeholders
- Following approval of the application, we hope to start work on site in June 2021
- Delivery will be phased across the site
- We expect that phase one will be operational by January 2023
WHAT IS A DATA CENTER?
Data centers connect you to the internet. They allow people to get online, work flexibly and remotely, and access information quickly, reliably and efficiently. Because of this, data centers form an important part of national and regional infrastructure, and are key to strong economic growth. They offer diverse local employment opportunities and regenerate brownfield sites.
ARE THEY GOOD FOR MY COMMUNITY?
DIRECT BENEFITS
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Build phase:
Over 1,000 direct jobs will be created during construction phase, 2,500 indirect jobs.
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Build investment
In excess of £450m planned for the initial phase of development.
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Operational phase:
Around 50+ full time roles created during the operational period.
Yondr will work with Slough Borough Council to exceed its S106 obligations and bring local jobs to local people. It’s part of our philosophy.
INDIRECT BENEFITS
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Business to business activity:
The benefits also spread further out into the community as Yondr staff and suppliers spend their money locally.
Examples of this are increased expenditure in local hotels, local contracts for landscaping and site management, increased spend in restaurants and cafes, staff attendance at leisure facilities and clubs, cleaning contracts, local business supplies etc.
Yondr have a community-led approach to development, with ambitions to create true circular economies.
WIDER ECONOMIC BENEFITS
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Knowledge transfer:
Skills and knowledge gained from working with data centers lead to new business opportunities for local suppliers.
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Education:
Employment opportunities provided by data center investment enhance the Government’s STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) strategies. Through Yondr’s specialist inhouse learning team, we can offer partnerships with communities on workforce development and education initiatives that prepare the current workforce for positions in the new economy.
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Capacity:
Data centers enhance the digital capacity for Big Data usage. This has a ripple effect through all aspects of the economy as it enables virtual learning, mobile computing, e-commerce etc, particularly highlighted during the pandemic.
HOW ARE YOU SUPPORTING MY LOCAL AREA?
WE WANT TO BE A WELCOME ADDITION TO YOUR COMMUNITY:
Which is why we always work towards increasing the overall level of biodiversity on our sites and develop community action plans for each project.
OUR COMMITMENTS TO BIODIVERSITY AND COMMUNITY:
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We will work with Wildlife Trust to identify ways to contribute to local biodiversity, for example upgrading the canal frontage and creating a linear park
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We will partner with Groundwork Trust – a highly respected non-profit organisation. We will fund a Community Enabler and develop a local Community Action Plan to support community engagement projects
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We will support STEM UK Learning’s ENTHUSE programme by partnering with local schools. Our staff will invest their knowledge as STEM Ambassadors and support creation of local STEM Clubs in schools
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We will deliver local employment during construction and operations. Support employment opportunities for graduates through our graduate programme and internships
Yondr is a net zero carbon business. We use 100% renewable energy, meet LEED Gold standards (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) and have achieved ISO 14001 environmental management standards.
OPERATIONS TECHNICIAN
Role: Primarily responsible for the delivery of operations and support services for the data center to global standards
Education level: Third level / internship
Average salary: £50,000 per annum
CLEANER
Role: General cleaning of all areas in the facility and maintaining good levels of housekeeping in line with Health & Safety policies and client regulations and requirements
Education level: Secondary
Average salary: £25,000 per annum
IT ENGINEER
Role: Internal Cat5/6 installations, fibre installations including bundle fibre, switch installations and access control
Education level: Third Level
Average salary: £65,000 per annum
SECURITY
Role: To protect the client’s property, people and/or assets by providing security services in direct accordance with the site procedures and policies
Education level: Secondary Level
Average salary: £35,000 per annum
