‘Brick Lane is for humans, not machines’: Inside the fight against plans for data centre in east London

L.With its famous curry houses, 24-hour bagel shops and stores selling vintage jeans covered in anti-war slogans, London’s Brick Lane has long been regarded as a beloved cultural venue.

But now a 5,200-square-foot data center could be built on top of the former Truman Brewery, one of the region’s most iconic buildings.

The 29-metre-tall facility will be used for high-speed trading in London’s nearby financial district and aims to employ 20 full-time staff.

For the past two years, campaigners in east London have protested the proposal, citing concerns about local culture and its potential impact on housing and the environment.

Tower Hamlets Council rejected the plans in July last year but the government has since stepped in and will now decide whether the development should go ahead. The exact timeline of production is unclear at this time.

For many, Brick Lane’s appeal lies in its separation from the city’s financial district.

Rodrigo Hammond, 20, a photographer from south London, said: Independent: “When you walk around central London all you see is high-end businesses and companies. I feel like people come here to get away from the city for a bit.

“This place was built for people, not machines.”

Production assistant Harvey Watt, 27, similarly suggested the data center did not fit into the culture of Brick Lane: “This area has so much history.

“This is a hub for fashion, music and art; it’s a hub for creativity, not a hub for data centers and AI tools.”

Tower Hamlets Green Party councilor Mads Churchhouse said: Independent has concerns about the potential cultural impact on the area: “The application cites Brick Lane as an ideal location as it is a ‘trendy area’.

“What developers fail to understand is that Brick Lane is trendy because of the diaspora communities that live here and the thriving culture created by people coming here with different, original ideas.

“These developers want to take advantage of the so-called ‘trendy space’ while completely ignoring the people who make it trendy.”

Tower Hamlets is currently experiencing a housing crisis with more than 29,000 people on the social housing waiting list.

More than 50 per cent of children in the borough are growing up in poverty, according to figures from the Department for Work and Pensions, and a lack of affordable housing is thought to be a contributing factor.

Planning documents highlight that the portion of the Truman Brewery site earmarked for demolition to make way for the new data center is derelict and that established residences, businesses and Brick Lane Market will not be affected.

Separate plans from the same developer also include proposals for a retail space, offices and 44 residential apartments at the site.

But speaking IndependentSome residents say they feel the site should be used for more affordable housing instead, while campaign group Save Brick Lane estimates around 350 homes could be built to replace the data centre.

Tower Hamlets mayor Lutfur Rahman said it was “a belief” that Brick Lane was an option for the project, in line with the local council’s position. The Aspire Party politician has described as “scandalous” an attempt to invest in a data center in a district where more than 5,000 children live in temporary accommodation.

The company behind the development of Truman Brewery did not respond to requests for comment.

Many have also warned that projects like this “price out” more people in the area.

Isaac Leyton, 20, said many parts of Tower Hamlets were already struggling with the effects of gentrification.

The clothing designer said: “This area is getting really expensive. The cost of housing these days is forcing people to move further afield; places like this are becoming stagnant over time.”

But not everyone agrees. Dhananjoy Paul, 55, of Brick Lane, spoke about the importance of Britain’s technological advances.

Mr Paul said: “The housing crisis is everywhere, every borough is facing it. But it’s not just about housing; we also need younger generations to look to the future; we need to keep up with technology.”

Described by Sir Keir Starmer as “critical national infrastructure” by 2024, the government has confirmed there are now more than 500 operational data centers in the UK.

Such large networks are designed to attract global investment and provide the infrastructure needed for the UK to compete in the global “AI race”.

But requiring large amounts of electricity to operate, Ofgem has estimated that 140 new data centers proposed in the UK could need 50GW of electricity; This is 5GW more than the country’s current peak demand.

Citing an estimated 2,700 deaths during recent heatwaves, Cllr Churchhouse expressed concern about the potential environmental impact of the Brick Lane project: “We know how badly data centers affect us – we have broken global climate records.

“As long as we continue to prioritize developments like this, where the government clearly puts the interests of tech companies before our people, heat-related deaths will become an increasingly predictable outcome.”

Save Brick Lane estimates that up to 15,000 homes could be powered by the energy required to run the data centre.

The housing ministry is expected to announce its decision on the data center by August 17. The Department of Housing, Communities and Local Government said it would not comment while the process was ongoing.