Campaigners in east London are fighting plans for a large datacentre on Brick Lane, on the site of the former Truman Brewery, arguing it would deepen the area's housing crisis and displace long-standing residents. The dispute matters because it is a local flashpoint in the UK's rapid, energy-hungry rollout of datacentres, with critics contending that the scarce electricity grid capacity should go towards badly needed affordable homes rather than commercial computing.

The proposed 5,200 sq metre centre would mainly serve automated "high-frequency trading" in the nearby City of London, prized for its proximity where milliseconds count, with a peak output of 5.2MW that campaigners say could power around 15,000 homes. Tower Hamlets council rejected the scheme last year, but after a public inquiry the housing secretary, Steve Reed, called in the decision, and the government is due to rule by 17 August. Opponents also cite noise concerns, while wider bodies note about 140 datacentre schemes are in the UK pipeline and Scotland is weighing a moratorium.