Amazon AWS - Houghton Regis DC1

A hyperscale data center campus is proposed for Linmere Island near Houghton Regis, in Bedfordshire, UK, with strong indications that it will be operated by Amazon Web Services (AWS). The project, submitted by Colliers Properties LLC—a known AWS partner—includes two 20-meter-tall data center buildings, backup generators, and supporting infrastructure. The site would also feature around 140 solar panels, and emissions are expected to be offset through renewable energy purchases.

The facility is designed to host cloud computing infrastructure, with Arup serving as the engineering firm. While the IT capacity has not been disclosed, the project aligns with AWS’s broader UK expansion, which includes a commitment to invest £8 billion ($10.47 billion) in UK data centers by 2030.

However, the proposal has drawn opposition from advocacy group Foxglove, which raised concerns about the strain on local water and power resources, as well as the carbon footprint of hyperscale developments. They’ve called for a national review of the UK’s data center strategy, urging the government to ensure that such projects don’t compromise critical public utilities or climate goals.