Drop-in events for proposed data centre
The company behind the proposed East Havering Data Centre Campus are to hold two in-person and one online drop-in events for members of the local community.
The project team has been undertaking technical and design work to advance the proposals and will now be undertaking initial conversations with the community, so they can learn more about the progressed plans.
- Tuesday 21 May 2024 6pm, online webinar – please register here.
- Wednesday 22 May 2024 4-7.30pm, St Mary’s Church Hall, North Ockendon, RM14 3QH
- Saturday 25 May 2024 11am-3pm, St Mary’s Church Hall, North Ockendon, RM14 3QH
For further information on the proposals, see the link to the leaflet they will be delivering to residents close to the area of the proposed data centre, which would be located to the north of Fen Lane in North Ockendon.
Despite the absence of the usual Planning Applications and Consents and initial Public Consultation, which the Council have furtively circumvented, this proposed future Toxic Wasteland aka East Havering Data Centre, seems to have already reached an advanced stage without any engagement of local residents.
We are only now learning of the massive scale of destruction and environmental damage this proposal will inflict on 175 hectares of Green Belt agricultural land, the adjoining Conservation Area and the surrounding area.
To date, there seems to have been an information blackout from our Council and our Councillors, whilst the deal between the Council and Digital Reef has been covertly progressed.
Therefore, I would ask what the RESIDENTS Association Councillors have done and are doing to protect their RESIDENTS, their Green Belt Land and Conservation Area from this planned desecration?
Re the Largest Data Centre In Europe, going to be built in North Ockendon within the Metropolitan Greenbelt.
We are trying to approach various councillors from Havering Council who work for an organisation who we pay for in our rates.
These people are meant to be civil servants, but clearly they are not interested in communicating with us the public.
This in itself isn’t democracy.
I find it disgraceful that the Councillors won’t even engage with the residents on this matter. Blaming cost constraints as to why they can’t make a trip on the 370 bus to come and see us. As a small village community, we don’t have the numbers that other areas would have in order to gain publicity, but we are people, we matter, and we have a passion for the area (which is why we all chose to live here).
Also disgraceful, heading back to the start of this, is the fact that they have agreed to bypass the first stages of planning process and go straight to DCO. This effectively only gives residents a 21-day window to comment during a final stage of public consultation on what is a highly complex and technical project with massive impacts. It’s also been reported in the press that this was secured with the promise of a £9m payment to get it through to DCO, which is now being described by Digital Reef as a training payment for resources for the data centre (that’s a lot of training budget for security staff and janitors).
When, when, when will the Councillors we voted for in good faith listen to the voice of reason, engage with us, and see the toxicity of this development on green belt, adjacent to a conservation area. There are other sites, I’m reliably informed by ex IBM colleagues!
Emma
I have been very distress since I found out about this datacentre being put on Green Belt land I have spent years trying to protect the Green Belt everywhere as well as our piece it saddens me that we have to fight yet again with the council wanting the money and digital Reef wanting their datacentre .we live here it’s our home and has been for long time my kids love coming to mine because it’s the countryside with wild animals insects newts lovely crested one too I want to say that havering council are supposed to be working for us but you would even talk to us about this .shame shame shame you are not and should not be councillors as you are not working for the people you are working for the money from big company I cannot tell you how disappointed, angry ,and stress how I am .
I can understand that our Ward Councillors may find it difficult to provide a plausible response on this and I understand that many other similar approaches from local Residents are now being stonewalled by them.
In the interests of transparency and truth, we would formally request an Open Meeting with all our Ward Councillors to discuss as a matter of urgency.
We await your response.
All of the above messages have been passed onto the Upminster Ward Councillors, whose area includes the proposed site of the Data Centre.
Cllr John Tyler
Cranham Ward
Many thanks John.
We look forward to hearing from them tomorrow.
It seems as a resident of Fen lane and someone who’s whole family will be effected by living directly opposite to this mega build, had no councillor to talk with and raise concerns! Seems this is a closed deal with no concerns on the green gelt and environmental effects.
Are we having to battle this on our own! I run a business and live on fen lane. We are now looking at years of disruption as well as the open green built now being effected. I find it hard how a house has a ridge height of around 7.5m this will be tripple to this and in the green belt area! There is absolutely no need for another country park.
I for one am all for the Data Centre! I have seen the plans and I am happy it’s this rather than a housing estate! It looks like it’s going to be a sort of Eden project building with cycle paths and footpaths. At the end of the day if it’s not your land to sell then green belt or not it’s not down to you. None of you currently look after this ‘green belt land’ so in my opinion it’s nothing to do with you what goes on it.
Bring on the data centre!
I live on St Marys Lane and the Data centre will be 2 fields away from us. In our field this year we have had
Barn and Tawny owls, Cuckoos, Nightingales and Muntjac. What with this which will obviously need new roads and the proposed Thames tunnel needing large roads put in. Can you tell that these animals and birds will not be disturbed and uprooted from their habitat?
Also what will happen on Clay Tye road with one end being commandeered for the Data Centre and the other for the the new tunnel and in the middle the Solar farm reeking Havoc???
We hear all of the promises from these people telling how wonderful it will all be but it’s all lip service!!
I’ve just driven down Fen Lane with new eyes. Home Farm down to the top of Fen Lane is a huge distance. You don’t appreciate it when you look at the maps. You have to drive it.
Also, I came nose to nose with a box Luton van just around one of the sharp bends. There wasn’t enough room to pass each other without me negotiating the pot holes on my side of the road and going into the verge. Good luck with having heavy construction vehicles back and forth.
Utter madness!