In the UK, Google’s plan to build a data center campus in Thurrock, Essex, is facing opposition that unites environmental activists and a motorcycle club. The protest group intends to continue the fight at every stage of the process.
Google acquired the site in 2023 through a subsidiary. The group then applied for permission to build the campus there. Of the 1,000 public responses sent to the planning authority, only one supported the project. However, Thurrock Council notes that many of these responses came from people who do not live in the local area.
An unusual front
Opponents accuse Google’s proposal of failing to properly account for its negative impacts. They cite the loss of the motorcycle speedway, the destruction of habitat for rare plant and animal species, and up to 570,000 tonnes of emissions per year. According to the Foxglove association, these emissions cannot be accommodated within the carbon budget set by the UK government.
Mark Sexton, director of the Thurrock Hammers motorcycle club, claims a particular place in the mobilization: “We are an exception. We are challenging it for different reasons. I think that’s why we are quite useful to the whole campaign.” He adds: “This unlikely alliance has drawn attention.”
Google’s response
Google states that these objections are based on misconceptions about its plans. The company assures that it will achieve a net gain for biodiversity by preserving existing habitat and transplanting threatened plants to another site. It also states that it will offset its emissions by funding new renewable energy generation capacity, with the aim of achieving carbon neutrality by 2030.
The group also argues that demolishing the speedway will not deprive the community of a vital facility, as the track has been unused for several years. Elman, whose role is not specified by the source, summarizes the company’s position: “We want to be good neighbors. We recognize the ecological value of these sites. Our goal is to minimize their impact as much as possible.”
Signs of pushback in other countries
Rob Pownall, founder of the non-profit Protect The Wild, took part in Wednesday’s protest. He is not very optimistic: “Do I think we have much hope? Not at the moment. But it’s another piece of that huge iceberg.”
However, the data center protest movement appears to be achieving results in some places. In the United States, several states have imposed permit freezes and moratoriums on data centers, and candidates supportive of such facilities were soundly defeated in the midterm elections. In the UK, Foxglove won a legal case that forced the government to withdraw planning permission for a data center west of London.
Thurrock Council is due to decide on Google’s initial application early next year. The group will then have to submit a more detailed plan for developing the site, which will undergo further detailed scrutiny. Robins, quoted by the source without a specified role, summarizes the outlook: “These planning campaigns can last for years. It’s a war of attrition.”
