Our Saunderton

community

A place to find out more and ask questions about the VIRTUS Saunderton data centre.
Any questions? Get in touch with our community team:
community@virtusdcs.com
Your questions answered

What is VIRTUS doing in

Saunderton?

VIRTUS is building five state-of-the-art data centres that, once completed, will house the servers and computing infrastructure that underpin our daily lives. Data centres are fundamental to the services we rely on every day. Everything that happens on the internet, happens in a data centre. Whether as individuals, businesses, or organisations, we interact with data centres hundreds of times each day.

Saunderton Campus

Gallery

Why Saunderton? What are the

benefits to me?

Data centres are the lifeblood of modern life, and finding appropriate sites to locate them is a challenge.

The old Molins factory site presented VIRTUS with a good opportunity to locate a new data centre campus in a location which was otherwise undeveloped for many years.

Proximity to good transport links with the rail and motorway was a key consideration, along with the ability to create a new genre of data centres — defining how they can be designed to blend into a countryside setting, whilst providing sustainable and non-intrusive operations.

VIRTUS is seeking to make the Saunderton campus the most sustainable and efficient data centre build seen in the UK to date.

What are the benefits of having VIRTUS as a neighbour? We want to be part of the community and support local initiatives in ways that matter to local residents. We listen to local priorities and work in partnership with residents, businesses and community organisations as shown by our ongoing community investment in Saunderton and Bledlow Ridge.
Investing in the Local Community
VIRTUS is proud to support grassroots sport, local schools and community facilities across Saunderton and Bledlow Ridge - from sponsoring local sports clubs to funding new parish noticeboards and supporting fundraising events.
Infrastructure & Environment
We will invest in and upgrade local infrastructure, from roads and transport links to faster internet connectivity.
Long-Term Community Investment
The Saunderton development will contribute approximately £20 million in planning-related funding over a ten-year period, supporting infrastructure, community facilities and local services across the area.

Saunderton Campus

Updates

What is VIRTUS doing for your

Saunderton community?

Saunderton, UK
Are data centres as bad as we are led to believe?
I live in a village not unlike the ones near some of our sites, so when I talk about data centres, I’m not speaking from a distant boardroom. I’m considering things from my personal perspective and thinking about the local communities, the people who live and work near them as well as the kind of future I would like for the next generation. In a world of streaming, online banking, digital GP appointments and AI tools that are becoming part of everyday life, data centres are the backbone that keeps it all running. They process, store and protect the information and systems that power modern life. Without enough of them here in the UK, we risk slower services, greater reliance on overseas providers, and a digital economy that feels less secure and less ours. These things are important to us all. Whether you’re watching a film on a Friday night, running a small business from home, or relying on hospital systems that need to stay online, data centres are critical to making these things work. They’re not abstract or new technology. They’re the reason the lights stay on for the digital part of life.
More Info
Saunderton, UK
Creating Long-Term Community Value
The Saunderton development will contribute approximately £20 million in planning-related funding over a ten-year period, supporting infrastructure, community facilities and local services across the area.
More Info
Saunderton, UK
Going Beyond the Expected
Community support often comes in unexpected forms. When Bledlow Ridge Cricket Club needed assistance removing waste following improvement works, VIRTUS arranged for its lorries to collect and remove the material, proving that being a good neighbour is often about practical support as much as financial investment.
More Info
Saunderton, UK
Protecting Nature and Biodiversity
More than half of the Saunderton site (around 25 acres) has been retained as natural habitat and open space. These areas are managed to enhance biodiversity, providing habitats for local wildlife and supporting a richer, more resilient natural ecosystem.
More Info
Saunderton, UK
Supporting Grassroots Sport, Education and Community Life
VIRTUS is proud to sponsor the ladies' and junior teams at Bledlow Ridge Cricket Club, helping to support participation, development and inclusivity within local sport.
More Info

We answer

your questions

Working on multiple developments, VIRTUS has put together a list of some of the most commonly asked questions about data centres, plus questions specifically related to the Saunderton development. If a question isn't answered here, residents can email us at community@virtusdcs.com.
Why are VIRTUS building a data centre campus at Saunderton?
VIRTUS chose the former Molins factory site. It had been derelict for years. It is close to the rail line and motorway, has a good fibre route to London, and has access to power.
Does a data centre campus emit any light or noise pollution?
Planning conditions set limits for sound and light. Some lighting is needed for safety, and it is designed to limit spill beyond the site.
Has there been a change to proposed sound levels at the campus?
Yes. The 2008 planning condition is being reset to the current standard as part of the Section 73 application. The 2008 condition required plant sound to sit at least 5dB below background. The proposed limit is 3dB above background: 38dB by day and 33dB at night at the nearest homes. 38dB is still very quiet, similar to a quiet library or a whisper from a few metres away. The full acoustic assessment is on the planning portal under PL/25/6761/VRC. Attenuation is built in. The chillers have fan speed control and limits, with attenuators on their inlets and outlets. The generators sit in acoustic enclosures with attenuators.
Has the planning application changed, and what has changed?
Yes. VIRTUS has applied to vary the 2008 planning conditions through a Section 73 application, PL/25/6761/VRC. It is public on the Buckinghamshire Council planning portal, and the council will decide it. The changes include timber colours the original supplier can no longer make, cladding removed from the chiller roofs, more glazing with automatic blinds, a larger drainage pond, sprinkler tanks requested by the Fire Officer, and improved landscaping. The number of buildings, generators and chillers does not change.
How loud are generator tests, and how often do they happen?
Generators are tested monthly, one at a time, for up to 15 minutes, on weekday daytimes only. There is also a longer test once a year. At the nearest home, monthly testing is modelled at 37dB against a daytime limit of 38dB.
Will there be more generators or chillers than the original consent?
No. There are 57 generators and 57 chillers across the four buildings, the same as in the consented scheme. The Section 73 application does not add any. The generators are there for backup, for when the grid fails.
I have heard data centres use a lot of electricity. Will this affect my supply or prices?
The site has its own high-voltage connection, running 17km underground from the National Grid substation at Amersham. It is separate from the network that supplies homes, so it does not draw on local supply. VIRTUS paid for the connection. The site pays the same market rate for electricity as everyone else, and its power is from certified renewable sources.
Are local homes at greater risk of power cuts because of this site?
No. The site connects further upstream, to the high-voltage transmission grid, rather than to the local network that serves homes. So a local outage does not necessarily mean an outage at the site. Power cuts can happen on any network. The site has its own generators so that it keeps running if the grid fails.
When does the build phase start and when will it be finished?
Construction began in 2025 and is being built in phases. Generator commissioning is expected in mid 2027. The campus is expected to be complete around the end of 2028.
Will this data centre campus be visible to villagers?
The buildings are designed to sit low in the landscape, with planted green roofs. More than half the site, around 25 acres, stays as natural habitat with public footpath access. VIRTUS worked with the council on how the site blends into the countryside.
How many people will be working there when the campus is live?
Around 50 of VIRTUS's own staff, and up to about 200 people on site at any one time including customer staff.
Why is the campus secure, with 24/7 security?
Servers hold confidential customer data, so the site has layered security, monitored 24/7, to protect it.
Is waste heat going into the atmosphere? What will that do to the climate?
Warm air is released from the chillers and cools naturally. The chillers release no harmful particulate emissions.
Are any hazardous materials used or handled at the site?
Data centres do not use hazardous materials in operation. The cooling system uses a non-conductive coolant in a sealed circuit. Diesel for the backup generators is stored on site, and the generators run only when the grid fails. Contractors follow UK environmental guidelines during construction.
I have heard that data centres use a lot of water. Is this true, and will it affect my supply?
The cooling system is closed-loop. It is filled once and then topped up in small amounts, so it does not draw water continuously. The water supply is agreed with Thames Water, and that capacity will be revalidated before any supply goes into the data centres.
Does the site draw on or affect the chalk aquifer or chalk streams?
No. The site does not draw water from the chalk aquifer or chalk streams, and does not discharge into them. The boreholes on site are capped. We specified this to Buckinghamshire Council.
What will happen to the 25 acre site which is not being used by the campus?
More than half the site, around 25 acres, stays as natural habitat with public footpath access. Chiltern Rangers will manage it. We are also asking the community for suggestions on how it can be used.
Will employees have parking, EV charging and access to public transport?
There are around 150 parking spaces on site, with EV charging. We encourage staff to use public transport where they can.
Will this development create new jobs?
Yes. Once live, VIRTUS expects around 50 of its own staff on site, and the campus supports jobs across the supply chain. The build creates many more jobs during construction.
Can the local community benefit from better broadband by using the fibre ducts at the site?
Yes, we are actively pursuing this. Fibre partners have confirmed that it is largely feasible. It now depends largely on take-up locally: the fibre partner needs roughly 20% take-up. VIRTUS will look to seek funding or fund it. Indicative costs to users, similar to a monthly internet bill, are still being worked out. To register your interest, email community@virtusdcs.com.
What will you do to minimise traffic in the local area?
Most site traffic uses the railway bridge route, turning right out of the site and away from the village. Abnormally large loads and oversize vehicles that cannot pass under the railway bridge still come through Bledlow Ridge, and we give advance notice of them. There are traffic marshals at the top of Haw Lane and by the school at drop-off and pick-up times, and drivers are briefed before they leave site.
What are you going to do about the potholes on Haw Lane?
We have already repaired one pothole outside the site entrance. Where our construction traffic causes damage, we reinstate it as directed by Highways. Potholes on the public highway are the council's responsibility.
Why was Haw Lane closed, and has it reopened?
Haw Lane fully reopened on 12 October, ahead of schedule. Thames Water carried out works at our site entrance to give three neighbouring homes new mains connections, and VIRTUS funded the works. The original plan was traffic management from 30 September, but Highways advised that a full closure was needed for safety reasons because of road width.
Where do I go to ask questions directly to VIRTUS?
Residents can email community@virtusdcs.com.

Any Further Questions

Any Further Questions
We understand that you may have further questions about the development - either now or in the future. Please feel free to contact us at any time via email: community@virtusdcs.com. Write us an email