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Introduction Our Experience
A Leading Consultancy
We’re proud to say that we’re an award-winning consultancy. We’ve a positive, creative mindset, and we’re passionate about what we do.
Formed in 2005, Iceni is a market-leading consultancy working with a growing client base across the UK. We combine the rigour of technical advice with the commercial instincts of a developer.
Our strength is our tradecraft. Deep technical expertise, built through experience and accreditation, sits alongside a proactive and strategic approach to problem solving. We are confident in our advice and prepared to challenge where it adds value.
Our service offer has broadened, but the objective is consistent. We put our clients’ interests first and equip them with the insight and tools to improve outcomes.
We operate at the point where policy, capital and delivery meet. Our work spans major strategic sites, infrastructure, regeneration and investment-led projects across the UK. Clients come to us to navigate complexity, unlock value and secure delivery in a challenging market. Increasingly, this means advising on large, multi-disciplinary projects where commercial awareness, political insight and technical expertise must align from the outset.
Birmingham The Colmore Building
20 Colmore Circus Birmingham, B4 6AT T: 0121 262 4148
Edinburgh 14 - 18 Hill Street Edinburgh, EH2 3JZ T: 0131 370 3486
Glasgow
201 West George Street Glasgow, G2 2LW T: 0141 465 4996
Ian Anderson Chief Executive
London Da Vinci House
44 Saffron Hill, London, EC1N 8FH T: 020 3640 8508 Manchester WeWork, Dalton Place 29 John Dalton Street Manchester, M2 6FW T: 0161 509 2840
We’re MultiDisciplinary
We are happy to support clients through any part of the project bringing in specialists from across our disciplines. Our multi-disciplinary appraoch allows for onestop-shop making the process easier.
Our UK-Wide Experience
Regional growth is fundamental to the future success of the UK economy. At Iceni we recognise that no two places are the same .
We have a clear focus on place and people. We work with public and private sector clients to understand the character of locations, the priorities of communities, and the realities of delivery, shaping responses that are grounded, relevant and deliverable.
Our work is truly national in scale. We operate across England and Scotland, combining a strong regional presence with the ability to mobilise multi-disciplinary teams wherever our clients need us. This allows us to bring consistency of advice, while remaining responsive to local policy, politics and market conditions in each location we work.
We bring together archaeology; built heritage and townscape; design; economics; engagement; impact management; landscape; planning, sustainability and transport into a single, integrated offer. This joined-up approach enables us to unlock complex sites, support investment decisions and deliver outcomes that respond to both national priorities and local challenges.
As an employee-owned business, we work as one team. Our structure allows us to collaborate openly across disciplines and geographies, ensuring clients benefit from the full breadth of our expertise wherever they are operating.
Your Strategic Advisors
Our specialists are collaborative and forward thinking highperformers ; chosen for their ability to get great results .
Cogar
Foy
Introduction
Our Experience
Our Expertise: Data Centres
Data centres are central to the functioning of modern societies and economies. They have been designated ‘National Critical Infrastructure’ by the Government, underscoring a commitment to support data centre development at national policy level. This complements the introduction of specific references to data centres within the draft National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF).
The NPPF introduced a requirement for Local Authorities to identify suitable locations for data centres and to recognise and address specific locational requirements for data centres. Data centres are recognised as having specific locational requirements linked to the geography of supporting infrastructure which can often be unique to certain operators. The relative location of existing telecommunications infrastructure, other data centres, and a suitable grid connection are key factors in determining viability.
Data centres use large amounts of energy and access to power is the biggest challenge to unlocking data centre sites. Data centre operators around the world are approaching this challenge in novel ways, with nuclear options being pursued in some cases. Other synergies are possible, including the use of excess heat generated by data centre operations to fuel local district heating systems.
At Iceni Projects, we are uniquely positioned to help clients navigate the specific challenges and issues associated with data centre schemes. Iceni’s expertise across large-scale renewables, NSIPs, needs assessments and data centre planning allows us to provide a range of specialist advice, and help identify the most appropriate strategy for individual proposals.
We have a solutions-focussed mentality. This allows us to take advantage of opportunities as well as create opportunities, effectively and imaginatively furthering our clients’ aspirations. We are capable advocates for these aspirations, with an intimate and broad knowledge of regions all over the UK.
Iceni is able to provide specialist input on a range of different subjects, all central to the delivery of comprehensive and timely advice, with a culture of cross-disciplinary learning and collaboration resulting in agility and nuance in the company’s consultancy style. The variety of disciplines represented, as well as its personable character, sets Iceni as a market leader in both the breadth and depth of strategic development advice.
Your Data Centre Leads
Our Industrial, Logistics & Data Centre sector group leads are at the forefront of planning and development knowledge, with valuable insights giving our clients’ schemes superior edge.
Stuart Mills Associate Director Aisling Merriman Senior Planner
Stuart is an experienced planner with over 14 years in consultancy working across a broad range of developments, leading multidisciplinary teams and acting as strategic advisor to various clients.
He is a leading member of Iceni’s Industrial, Logistics & Data Centres sector and has extensive experience of advising on industrial and data centre schemes.
Stuart specialises in complex applications, advising on planning strategy and promoting sites through the Local Plan process. He also has significant appeal experience and takes a keen interest in the legal aspects of planning, with experience of High Court proceedings and working with Counsel.
Aisling is a Senior Planner at Iceni and has been working professionally since 2020 in a variety of contexts and scales extending across the UK and Ireland and within both the public planning and private consultancy sectors. She has worked on a wide range of projects and sites, at all stages of the planning process from site promotion to project completion.
Aisling has taken a leading role in delivering quality results for clients. Her experience includes large-scale town-centre regeneration schemes on brownfield sites, strategic employment developments, transport and energy infrastructure, and data centre campuses. She undertakes continuous research of emerging land uses and trends within planning policy and case law, and is a key contact for data centre planning knowledge.
Director
Matt Kinghan has a range of experience in economics, spatial planning and regeneration, with key strengths in economic planning and evidence base work.
Matt has advised more than 50 authorities on economic needs assessments or employment land reviews. He has prepared economic development evidence and strategies for a number of authorities and supported business case submissions for the Levelling up Fund, Towns Fund and HE Land Assembly Fund. He led social and economic impact assessment work for HS2 Phase 2b and the expansion of Luton Airport.
Matt has managed a range of multidisciplinary planning and masterplanning projects covering urban renewal, town centre redevelopment. He has also worked on several significant new towns and cities internationally. He leads Iceni’s Industrial, Logistics & Data Centres sector.
Matt Kinghan
Cardiff East Data Centre
Pentwyn, Cardiff
Authority: Cardiff City Council
Proposal: Hybrid application for data centre and temporary energy centre
Services: Planning, EIA, Sustainability, Socio-Economics, Landscape
Status: Planning Application submitted
Iceni have submitted a hybrid planning application on behalf of Curtis Hall for a data centre campus in Pentwyn, Cardiff City. The Site is 23.4 ha and comprises an area of previously developed land. The Site is bordered by the River Rhymney and includes a significant area of existing green space, with numerous Public Rights of Ways, and area of Ancient Woodland, and dormouse habitat across the Site. The application builds on an extant permission for a commercial scheme, and provides for improvements to existing green infrastructure and wildlife habitats.
The planning application is hybrid, part-outline and part-detailed. The detailed element of the relates to the existing green spaces and a proposed link road and bridge over the Rhymney connecting Pentwyn to the A48. The outline element covers the data centre and temporary energy centre plots. Further reserved matters applications will confirm the exact details of the buildings, which will include for substantial green roofs and green walls, sustainable drainage systems, and sensitive and efficient design. Iceni provided planning consultancy, EIA preparation, sustainability and climate change expertise and socio-economic input to the proposed development, building on cross-disciplinary knowledge and experience.
Thurrock Data Centre
Thurrock
Authority: Thurrock Council
Proposal: Provision of new data centre campus (four data centre buildings and an office building)
Services: EIA, Socio-Economics, Heritage
Status: Planning Application Submitted
Iceni is supporting the redevelopment of the former Arena Essex site to deliver a major new data centre campus. Our team prepared the Heritage Statement as part of the planning submission, providing clear, proportionate advice on the site’s historic context and the relationship between the proposals and nearby heritage assets.
The site sits within an isolated pocket of previously developed land, enclosed by significant modern infrastructure. Our assessment confirmed that the proposals would not affect the significance or setting of any designated heritage assets in the surrounding area, enabling the project to progress with a robust and well evidenced heritage position.
This work strengthens the planning case for the delivery of substantial new digital infrastructure on a complex brownfield site and supports the wider regeneration ambitions within Thurrock.
Beamish Close Sandy
Authority: Central Bedforshire
Proposal: Hybrid planning application for mixed use commercial development including data centre use
Services: Planning, Archaeology, Economics, Sustainability
Status: Planning Application submitted
The Site encompasses an area of land which is approximately 12.0 hectares in size and is situated on the northern edge of Sandy’s established employment area. The Site currently comprises relatively flat, undeveloped agricultural land used for arable cropping. The planning application is a hybrid, with part submitted in outline and part submitted in detail for approval. The detailed element of the HPA covers the northern, eastern, and western periphery of the site (2.3 hectares) and relates to proposals for a landscape buffer. The outline element covers the central infill area of the site (9.7 hectares), within which the employment buildings would be developed.
The Proposed Development seeks planning permission for up to 71,000 sqm of flexible commercial floorspace under Class B2, B8 and E(g)(ii)(iii) uses, with the final mix of uses to be secured at Reserved Matters stage. This flexibility is important as it provides the potential to provide an industrial and/or data centre and/or research and development use as well as other potential ancillary uses which will benefit the local economy and will respond positively to evolving market conditions.
Data Centres appraisals Scotland & Birmingham
Authority: Various
Proposal: Hyperscale Data Centres
Services: Planning, Built Heritage & Townscape, Landscape
Status: Pre-Planning
Iceni Scotland and Birmingham, respectively, are currently working across a variety of sites, offering planning consultancy services and advice on a range of matters. The sites include hyperscale facilities, brownfield and Green Belt sites.
With specific regards to Scotland, project work to date have been focused on:
f Educating Councils on the key components of a Data Centre and characteristics of their operation including traffic and transport and economic benefits and national need; and
f Establishing the use class of Data Centres in Scotland;
f The concept of ‘Green Data Centres’ as per the most recent National Planning Framework;
f Preparing supporting information ahead of submitting planning applications.
Planning Permission in Principle applications will be submitted relating to the Scottish sites in due course, following a period of statutory public consultation.
Data Centre Connection Projects South East
Authority: Various London Boroughs and TfL
Proposal: Feasibility studies to assess the impact of proposed cable routes on the local road network; Engagement with highway authorities and interested groups
Services: Transport; Engagement
Status: Various
Iceni Transport and Engagement teams supported our client with preconstruction engagement and traffic management services to support feasibility work to plan for data centre connections to the grid at bulk supply points. Our work has supported decision making and programme planning to determine well-considered cable routes. Iceni deliverables have included:
f Technical Notes and accompanying cable route phasing drawings to assist engagement with highway authorities;
f A matrix of cable route considerations from a traffic management perspective and an assessment of the impacts of each option on programme;
f A communications strategy to keep local communities and stakeholders informed. Using our knowledge of the road network in London and experience in working collaboratively with local planning and highway authorities at various stages of the planning process has added value to the connection projects while allowing our clients to focus on the technical and engineering aspects of project delivery.
North Weald Airfield
Epping Forest
Authority: Epping Forest District Council
Proposal: Data Centre
Services: Built Heritage and Townscape; Archaeology
Status: Outline Planning Permission Granted
Iceni has supported Google in bringing forward a major data centre campus at the former North Weald Airfield site in Epping. Our role has focused on providing clear, proportionate heritage advice to guide the project through the planning process and help ensure its successful progression. Google’s proposals form part of the wider transformation of the eastern side of the airfield, a location allocated for employment uses in the adopted Local Plan.
This has included preparing the Heritage Statement as part of the Environmental Impact Assessment and advising on how the scheme can be sensitively integrated within its wider landscape and historic context of the former Battle of Britian airfield. Our work has ensured that heritage considerations related to the airfield runways and air traffic control tower, have been properly understood and appropriately managed from the outset, giving the project team a robust and well informed foundation for decision making.
The scheme represents a substantial opportunity for new digital infrastructure in the region and forms part of wider efforts to unlock strategic regeneration and economic growth in the area. Iceni continues to support the project, providing proportionate heritage input to help ensure that the development can be appropriately integrated within its distinctive airfield context and supported through the planning process.
Park Royal Data Centre OPDC
Authority: Old Oak and park Royal Development Corporation OPDC
Proposal: Amendments to an existing approval for a new data centre for Ark Estates 3 Ltd, change to material treatment, massing, facade treatment.
Services: Heritage
Status: Permission Granted
Iceni supported the delivery of the data centre at Park Royal, a major new piece of digital infrastructure for London. Our team prepared the Heritage, Townscape & Visual Impact Assessment (HTVIA), helping to guide the design and ensure the proposal was appropriately integrated into its urban and industrial surroundings, with minimal impact upon nearby heritage assets.
Our assessment provided a clear understanding of how the scheme would sit within its context and informed a balanced planning case that supported the project through determination. The development represents a significant investment in London’s growing data centre capacity and is backed by a package of local community benefits, including a dedicated digital skills fund.
Archaeology | Built Heritage & Townscape | DCOs | Design | Economics | Engagement | Impact Management | Landscape | Place | Planning | Transport Birmingham: 20 Colmore Circus Queensway, Birmingham, B4 6AT
Edinburgh : 14 -18 Hill Street, Edinburgh, EH2 3JZ
Glasgow : 201 West George Street, Glasgow, G2 2LW
London : Da Vinci House, 44 Saffron Hill, London, EC1N 8FH
Manchester : WeWork, Dalton Place, 29 John Dalton Street, Manchester, M2 6FW www.iceniprojects.com | iceni-projects | iceniprojects