Delivering more data centres internationally is essential to support global digital growth, ensure data sovereignty, improve service performance, and enhance resilience and sustainability. We are here to support throughout the data centre lifecycle.
At every stage of a data centre project – from initial concept to development and construction, to expansion, upgrades, retrofits and decommissioning, to ongoing maintenance and operations – our experts provide tailored guidance to ensure your development and operations run smoothly and compliantly.
We understand that data centres are complex, capital-intensive projects requiring meticulous attention to regulatory, contractual and commercial matters. Our expertise spans the entire lifecycle, offering peace of mind so you can focus on delivering critical infrastructure locally or internationally.
Developing any major infrastructure involves a diverse range of challenges, and ensuring you have the right team on board early on is crucial. That’s where we come in.
How we can help
Did you know...
Data centres now qualify as NSIPs?
The Planning Act 2008 defines Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects (NSIPs) as large-scale projects deemed of national importance, with the types of projects currently covered including road schemes, large scale solar, wind, rail and nuclear.
On 8 January 2026, the ‘Infrastructure Planning (Business or Commercial Projects) (Amendment) Regulations 2026’ were made by Parliament, bringing nationally significant data centres within the NSIP regime.
Allowing them to go through the Development Consent Order process will speed up the overall planning process with consent being granted by the Secretary of State. It will also enable data centre promoters to apply for/ use compulsory purchase powers to support their schemes and bring forward sites where land constraints can be overcome within fixed timescales, without being ransomed for higher acquisition costs.
Get in touch with our experts to find out more.
Our extensive experience includes:
- Dealing with a £1.25bn investment by a US data centre developer in a new facility near London. We are advising on everything from acquisition and power supply agreements to development, installation and letting.
- Advising a major joint venture data centre developer on two data centres in Dammam, Saudi Arabia, involving a customised design for hyperscalers, which was a first in the region for the hyperscaler client. These data centres were custom-built for a multinational technology corporation known for anything from artificial intelligence to digital communications. The FIDIC Conditions of Contract for the Plant and Design Build (the “Yellow Book”) was used, which we amended to suit the developer’s unique requirements.
- Advised a data centre developer on two data centres in Qatar and two data centres in KSA, customised design for hyperscalers, which was a first in the region for the hyperscaler client.
- Prepared a maximised claim for tax relief on a new £89m data centre, advising from design through to completed construction.
- Engaged by the world’s largest colocation data centre operator to analyse yearly expenditure incurred across all 15 of their UK data centres to support the submission of tax incentives claims. To date, we have analysed over £500m of capital expenditure.
- Advising a London-based borough council on the planning application by an international developer to deliver a 50MW data centre.
- Advising on the development of a data centre with solar power in KSA and UAE, dealing with solar supplier and PPA for purchaser.
- Advising a data centre developer on a share sale to US infrastructure fund for global data centre development.
- Advising a data centre developer on the acquisition and bidding for a global data centre company.
- Advising on the tax structuring of a £170m site acquisition and development of a new data centre facility advising on the preservation of VAT TOGC treatment (in order to minimise SDLT), future VAT recovery mitigation during development phase, structuring of all documentation/ transaction timings to minimise/ defer SDLT, completion of all SDLT returns/ deferral applications and subsequent advisory on VAT compliance.
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