Green belt row risks derailing data centre

A PLAN to build Europe’s largest data centre on the outskirts of London faces opposition from campaigners who claim the project will ruin the countryside.

A leading environmental group has pledged to fight the construction of the “nationally significant” £5.3bn data centre complex on green belt land in east London.

Led by developer Digital Reef, the project will become “Europe’s largest data centre” according to Conservativecontrolled Havering council, which endorsed plans for the scheme this week.

However, the Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE) said it was appalled by the scheme and vowed to fight it through the planning system.

Alice Roberts, the group’s head of campaigns, said: “We are astonished and appalled the council has agreed to sink valuable time into developing a proposal which will cause massive environmental damage and is highly unlikely to gain permission.”

The new campus is intended to be built on fields next to Junction 27 of the M25, near Upminster, in a semi-rural area traditionally viewed as part of Essex. The 499-acre site sits within the London green belt.

Graham Williamson, a Havering councillor responsible for regeneration, said: “Although we will be using a small amount of green belt, this development represents substantial economic and skills opportunities for the borough.”

Building the data centre campus will add £3bn to Britain’s GDP across the five year construction period, according to council estimates prepared by consultancy Oxford Economics.

Earlier this year, it emerged that there was a de facto ban on new housing developments along the so-called “M4 corridor” to the west of London because planned data centres had pushed the local electricity grid to maximum capacity. Documents published by Havering council suggest Digital Reef ’s data centre will need up to 600 megawatts of electrical power at peak times equivalent needed to run 140,000 houses for an hour.

Havering Council expects to receive around £12m per year in business rates if the project is completed. Challenges to large-scale developments in London are raised through the local council and then through the mayor’s office before central government can intervene.