Green Party Opposes East Havering Data Centre Plans (Havering, 2026)

Key Points

• Mark Whiley, Chair of Havering Green Party, expresses strong opposition to the proposed data centre in East Havering, describing it as Europe’s largest.
• The party highlights destruction of high-grade farmland and Green Belt land in Upminster and Cranham wards.
• Concerns include massive power usage, impacts of cooling methods on freshwater supplies, potential pollution from forever chemicals, and prolonged transport and construction disruptions.
• Whiley corrects claims that the Green Party’s issues are limited to the consultation length, emphasising cumulative impacts from other data centres like Thurrock, urban sprawl, habitat loss for skylarks and badgers, and greenwashing in the application.
• At a panel debate, Green Party candidate Sami Rahman advocated for distributed, nature-integrated micro-centres as alternatives, noting their commonality in Eastern Europe.
• The party does not oppose all data centres but objects to this specific large-scale proposal via a Local Development Order, deeming it unsuitable.
• Whiley, with experience in streaming technology and virtualised storage, acknowledges the need for compute near cities for high-latency or real-time uses.
• Greens have engaged with residents’ groups, urging a strengthened Local Plan on land use.
• Warning of potential Labour Government override as Critical National Infrastructure; calls for voting Green to influence policy.
• If in administration, Greens would push for a pause in Labour’s data centre strategy via local authority, London Assembly, and Parliamentary roles.

Havering (East London Times)  April 24, 2026 – Mark Whiley, Chair of Havering Green Party, has outlined grave concerns over plans for what the party describes as Europe’s largest data centre in East Havering, urging opponents not to mislead residents amid reported pressures.

What Are the Green Party’s Main Objections to the East Havering Data Centre?

In an article published in today’s Havering Daily, Mark Whiley writes that the party firmly opposes the current plans for the data centre. He references a Green Party leaflet distributed in Upminster and Cranham wards, titled

“Tell the Residents Association: We don’t want Europe’s Largest Data Centre”.

The leaflet details several issues, including the destruction of a large swathe of high-grade farmland and Green Belt land.

Whiley notes the power usage demands of the project, alongside impacts from various cooling methods that could affect freshwater supplies for residential homes.

He also raises alarms over potential pollution from forever chemicals that could harm the environment. Additionally, the leaflet addresses years of anticipated transport and construction disruptions.

As reported by Mark Whiley in Havering Daily, he has attended two public meetings on the data centre, where he posed questions directly to Upminster ward councillors.

Whiley states he has also submitted responses to the council’s consultation exercise, which the party calls controversial.

Why Does the Green Party Reject Claims of Limited Concerns?

Whiley feels it necessary to correct any claims that the Green Party’s issues centre solely on the length of the data centre consultation. In his Havering Daily piece, he cites broader concerns over the cumulative impact of data centre developments, pointing to the existing facility in Thurrock as an example.

He mentions urban sprawl and specific habitat impacts, including those on skylarks and badgers.

Whiley critiques what he describes as greenwashing in the application. These points build on the concerns highlighted in the Green Party’s leaflet.

What Happened at the Panel Debate Involving Green Party Figures?

Cllr. Gillian Ford, Leader of Havering Residents Association, attended a panel debate several weeks ago alongside Sami Rahman, a Green Party candidate in Elm Park. As detailed by Mark Whiley in Havering Daily, Sami Rahman explained during the debate that it is unnecessary to destroy “huge swathes of land” to meet data needs of big cities. Rahman stated that

“distributed and nature integrated micro-centres are common in Eastern Europe”.

Whiley adds his opinion that smaller, edge data centres will increasingly become the norm within this decade, given rapid technological changes in the sector.

Does the Green Party Oppose All Data Centres?

It is correct, per Whiley’s Havering Daily article, that the Green Party does not oppose all data centres. Several candidates, including Whiley himself, work as engineers, developers, or in other tech fields. Whiley discloses his background in streaming technology and virtualised storage.

He explains that data centres near big cities serve largely high-latency or real-time use cases, underscoring an understanding of the need for such compute infrastructure.

However, the local Green Party has collectively decided to oppose this specific application.

How Has the Green Party Engaged with Residents?

The Green Party has engaged with residents organised against the data centre, as Whiley notes in Havering Daily. He states that party members have attended meetings to hear and platform residents’ views, where others have not.

The party advocates strengthening the Local Plan around land use. Whiley argues that a Local Development Order is unsuitable for a proposal of this size.

What Risks Does the Green Party Highlight Regarding Government Intervention?

The Green Party recognises the threat that a Labour Government could overrule any local planning authority decision by designating the data centre as Critical National Infrastructure.

In his article, Whiley calls it crucial to send a message to the government by voting for a national environmentalist party working across South Essex to oppose Green Belt eradication. He notes the party’s likely success across London in May.

Whiley states that the Labour Party has responded, and will respond, to Green success by trying to

“out Green the Green Party”.

What Would the Greens Do If Part of the Administration?

If part of the administration, the Greens would leverage their power as a local authority, with representatives on the London Assembly and in Parliament, to call for a pause and rethink in Labour’s wider data centre expansion strategy.

Mark Whiley writes in Havering Daily that the party would never resort to what it describes as greenwashing or data centre propaganda in the local press.

This stance reflects the party’s coordinated efforts in Havering, where leaflets have reached many residents in Upminster and Cranham wards. Whiley’s direct involvement in public meetings and consultations adds weight to the party’s position.

The panel debate featuring Sami Rahman provides a public record of alternative proposals like micro-centres.

The council’s consultation, labelled controversial by the Greens, has drawn responses emphasising these environmental and land-use issues.

Habitat concerns for species such as skylarks and badgers underscore biodiversity risks. The reference to Thurrock’s data centre illustrates regional cumulative effects.

Whiley’s tech expertise lends credibility to the party’s nuanced view on data infrastructure needs versus this proposal’s scale. The call to strengthen the Local Plan signals a preference for robust planning tools over expedited orders.

Opposition to misleading residents amid pressures highlights tensions in local discourse. The potential for national override introduces a political dimension, tying local plans to broader government strategy.

Across South Essex, the Greens position themselves against Green Belt loss, with electoral hopes in upcoming London votes. This development occurs amid ongoing debates on balancing tech growth with environmental protection in outer London boroughs like Havering.

Background of the East Havering Data Centre Development

Plans for the data centre in East Havering, targeted at Upminster and Cranham wards, involve a large-scale facility described by opponents as Europe’s largest. The proposal utilises a Local Development Order, prompting a council consultation deemed controversial by the Green Party. Public meetings have featured discussions with Upminster ward councillors.

A leaflet campaign by Havering Green Party has informed residents on specific impacts. Regional context includes the Thurrock data centre, contributing to cumulative development pressures. The project raises questions on Green Belt integrity and high-grade farmland preservation amid growing data infrastructure demands near London.

Prediction: How This Development Can Affect Havering Residents

This development could affect Havering residents through potential loss of Green Belt and farmland, altering local landscapes in Upminster and Cranham. Construction and transport phases may disrupt daily life for years. Cooling methods might strain freshwater resources, impacting homes. Forever chemicals pose environmental pollution risks.

Habitat changes could reduce wildlife sightings, such as skylarks and badgers. Power demands may influence local energy supplies. If approved as Critical National Infrastructure, local decisions could face override, limiting resident input. Alternatives like micro-centres might preserve land while meeting tech needs, but this proposal’s scale could accelerate urban sprawl.