Plans for a new data centre at the former Arena Essex Raceway in Thurrock could threaten the habitats of rare species, including the broad-leaved cudweed and the shrill carder bumblebee, the Essex Wildlife Trust has stated. The site, designated as a local wildlife site, is home to these species and is considered to contain "incredibly rare" habitats that could be lost if the development proceeds.
A planning application has been submitted for the Google data centre, which would occupy the 129-acre (52-hectare) site purchased by Global Infrastructure UK Limited in July 2023 for £47 million. Data centres are large facilities housing powerful computers essential for digital services like streaming, online banking, and artificial intelligence.
Emily Buttress of the Essex Wildlife Trust expressed concerns about the development's potential impact, citing worries over water and energy consumption, the warming effect on the surrounding environment, and a lack of long-term impact research. "We are not against development, but it has to happen sustainably," Buttress said.
The Essex Wildlife Trust has identified hundreds of plant and invertebrate species at the site, including the dingy skipper butterfly and the shrill carder bumblebee, which is found in only two locations in England. The site was designated a local wildlife site in 2006, a status that requires developers to consider its ecology, though it does not offer legal protection from development.
Google stated that it takes its environmental responsibilities seriously and aims to regenerate the site with long-term investment and jobs. A spokesperson for Google mentioned that the company has collaborated with Natural England and ecologists to ensure a 10% biodiversity net gain and the preservation of a substantial portion of the site for public open space, green links, and habitat enhancement.
The Arena Essex Raceway ceased hosting speedway fixtures in 2018. The planning application, submitted by Mallory Land Ltd on behalf of Google, asserts that the proposals have taken the site's ecology into account, noting the significant expansion in demand for data centres driven by digital services, artificial intelligence, and cloud-based technologies.