A proposal for an expansive data centre complex worth £900 million is set to be evaluated by Cherwell District Council in the coming weeks.
The initiative, branded EXOq, would be constructed on land adjacent to Oxford Parkway station in Kidlington, with the aim of establishing what developers describe as a centre for international research, innovation and educational advancement, particularly in the fields of artificial intelligence and quantum computing.
The scheme encompasses a substantial data processing facility intended to deliver computing resources, accompanied by a collaborative space designed to connect academic researchers, government agencies and private investors.
Additional elements include a venue for conferences, a hotel providing approximately 180 overnight rooms, and a technical college dedicated to preparing young people for careers in emerging technologies linked to the project.
Construction would commence in 2028, with full completion anticipated by 2040.
Exeter College’s finance and estates bursar expressed that the venture represents an exceptional opportunity for the Oxford region, noting that the institution possesses unique capabilities to deliver the advanced computing infrastructure required to establish leadership in quantum computing and AI development.
The University of Oxford’s Vice Chancellor offered support for the initiative, observing that it aligns closely with institutional requirements.
The project emerges alongside official efforts to expand Britain’s computational capacity.
Official projections indicate that the nation will require approximately three times the existing data centre footprint by the end of the decade to meet artificial intelligence demands.
The proposal also connects with aspirations to strengthen the Oxford-Cambridge corridor, an area government officials have promoted as a hub for technology and innovation.
An economic analysis accompanying the submission estimates gross value added could reach £1.4 billion, with total employment generation of 7,000 positions, including at least 4,600 roles within the immediate vicinity.
Opposition has emerged from the local community.
Ian Middleton, who represents Kidlington and serves as the environmental party’s leader on the council, submitted a formal objection.
More than three dozen local residents also filed statements against the scheme during consultation, with individuals describing the venture as oversized and unwarranted, and urging the authority to resist allowing educational institutions to expand excessively into the surrounding landscape.
Campaign organisations have voiced environmental reservations.
The Oxfordshire division of an association dedicated to protecting countryside areas highlighted concerns regarding the impact on protected green space between Oxford and Kidlington, as well as proximity to old woodland.
Another local planning group referenced operational noise issues experienced at comparable facilities in North America.
Responding to questions about environmental implications, Exeter College’s representative emphasised commitment to sustainable construction standards, incorporation of solar generation, and utilisation of thermal energy from computing operations through a heating system serving the development and nearby areas.
The institution indicated exploration of renewable energy procurement and collaboration with power providers to ensure the facility would not strain local electricity supplies.
A prominent aspect of local resistance involves recreational land use.
The historic North Oxford Golf Course, which had operated for 118 years under ownership shared between three Oxford institutions, ceased operations in 2025 to facilitate residential construction.
A collective formed by former club members asserted that assurances were given allowing the EXOq site to function as replacement golfing terrain, a possibility contemplated in the council’s planning framework.
The development’s proponents countered that participation in golf has declined nationally and demand does not justify maintaining the site for this purpose.
The former members’ group contested this characterisation.
The authority is expected to issue a determination shortly after receiving an independent assessment of golfing facility requirements.
That assessment represents the third such study submitted as part of the application, following analyses presented separately by the college and by community representatives.