HAVERING Council is looking to carry out a public consultation on its plans for a giant new data centre in the borough reports the Local Democracy Reporter.
East Havering Data Centre, planned for Green Belt land in North Ockendon, will consist of a large network of computer servers, used by companies such as Google for data storage, processing and distribution.
Developer Digital Reef put forward plans in the summer of 2024. The centre would cover 99 acres alongside a 279-acre “ecology park” and visitors’ centre.
It would be the largest in Europe if it was built and provide a major boost for the local economy, the council says.
Before the local development order can be approved by the council, it must go before the public.
The consultation is currently slated to be held between 6th March and 7th April.
Helen Oakerbee, Havering’s director of planning, said: “This is an important opportunity for residents to explore the plans in detail and tell us what they think.
“Residents’ feedback will be used to help shape the next stage of the process.”
Plans for the data centre immediately proved controversial with locals when they were unveiled in 2024.
That summer, Havering Friends of the Earth co-ordinator Ian Pirie said the impact on the site would be “unacceptable”.
“Instead of farmland, there will be a large number of warehouse-sized buildings, containing banks of computers, batteries, cooling systems, backup power sources, and more equipment,” he said.
He added if the development was allowed, it would set a precedent and “we would then lose more and more of our green belt”.
He has since said the group has felt “stonewalled” by the council, while other residents who will be affected by the decade-long works say they do not feel listened to by either the leadership or ward councillors.
Every resident in the borough will be able to comment on the plans during the consultation, the council says.
Beyond the consultation, no further timeline has been provided for the data centre.
Categories: Planning Permission Economy Environment
Authorities: Havering Council
