Network Rail applies to build new entrance/exit to Iver station

A planning application has been put in by Network Rail to build a new entrance/exit for Iver railway station.

The plan, sent to Buckinghamshire Council for consideration on April 10, is set for land at Thorney Business Park, on the north side of the railway.

Thorney Lane LLP is currently bringing forward a series of proposals that would result in the closure and redevelopment of Thorney Business Park.

Planning permission was granted last May for a data centre at the western end of the site, and a planning application was submitted in December 2024 for a second data centre to be situated alongside the first one (yet to be decided).

Furthermore, a planning application will be submitted later this year for new homes, public open space and other facilities in the eastern section of the site, the company says.

The redevelopment of Thorney Business Park ‘presents a unique opportunity to improve access to Iver Station’, as part and parcel of some other improvements there.

Thorney Lane has already applied for a 310-space station car park on the business park site (also yet to be determined by the council).

Within these latest plans from Network Rail, the footbridge that provides access to the station platforms from the south side would be extended north to cross the entire railway.

It would link into the new building, which would provide stairs and a lift down to street level.

Thorney Lane has committed to fund the construction of both the station car park and the new entrance/exit, if planning consent is secured for the second data centre.

Paul Thornberry, development manager for Thorney Lane said the company was ‘pleased’ by the plans.

“We have always wanted to make sure that our proposals for the redevelopment of Thorney Business Park enable access to Iver Station from the north side of the railway, and the application is a major step towards turning this idea into a reality,” he said.

“If our application for a second data centre is approved, we will fund not only the new entrance/ exit but also a 310-space station car park on our site.

“Together, these improvements should dramatically improve access to the station for Iver residents, as well as alleviating the congestion problems outside the station’s one and only current access in Richings Park.”

The planning application is under ‘prior approval’, a pathway that bypasses the full planning process if certain requirements are met.

This falls within specific rights granted to statutory undertakers, like railway operators. They do not need full planning permission for works on land they already operate and are directly related to the running of the railway.

The council can only refuse the proposal if it raises serious concerns on a limited number of grounds, such as noise or highway impacts.

Often there is little in the way of information for these kinds of applications – and in this case, there are no documents currently logged in Buckinghamshire Council’s online planning portal for this scheme.

Nevertheless, the planning reference number is PL/25/1185/PRAMD. View it via pa-csb.buckinghamshire.gov.uk/online-applications/