UK town in 'utter shock' as Labour plans 'eyesore' bigger than Wembley

Residents in Potters Bar are in “utter shock” at Labour’s plans to “destroy” the “beautiful green belt” in their town to build Europe’s largest data centre. Locals fear that the data centre, which at 187,000 sq metres is set to be bigger than Wembley Stadium, will be an “eyesore” in the popular and “peaceful” 85-acre fields that separate Potters Bar from the M25 and South Mimms services.

Campaigners claim the data centre, set to be constructed in 2027 and opened in 2030, will be a “blot on the landscape”, devastate property values, lead to noise and light pollution, and rob the area of an “essential” natural resource for residents’ mental health.

Moreover, locals allege the companies behind the £3.75bn project have been “cloak and dagger” in how they represented it, adding that they were not properly consulted. Others pointed out that one of the developers of the site, Griggs Homes, sponsored Hertsmere Borough Council’s 50th anniversary celebration, less than two months after the council gave the go-ahead for the development in January 2025. Griggs Homes denies “any suggestion of impropriety”.

“We moved out to Potters Bar basically because it was a greener area - out of the rat race”, 55-year-old Lorraine Hickey told Daily Express.

“It really upsets me to be perfectly honest, talking about this data centre. When I first heard about it I was in utter shock”, the mum-of-two, who lives just over 200 yards away from the site, said. “It’s going to be like looking at a prison. We might as well be down Pentoville or something like that.”

The developers argued to the Hertsmere Borough Council that the land should be classed as “grey belt”, after changes to planning rules were presented by Angela Rayner, allowing building on “poor quality and ugly areas” of green belt.

However, standing in the wide-open fields with around 20 other campaigners, Julia MacKay, 63, and her dog Ellie, refuted the idea that the area could be seen as anything other than green belt: “There’s no grey about it”, she said.

“This is green belt. That’s my attitude. How can you suddenly behind people’s backs say this isn’t green belt?”, single mum and former nurse Annie Phillips, 53, asked.

“This is green space, this our green space around Potters Bar. As soon as you take this you’re going to start taking all of it round here”, she went on.

Annie, whose nine-year-old son Noah is autistic, said the open fields are a vital resource for his mental wellbeing. “We find it’s very therapeutic. If he’s having a bad day, first thing we say [is] ‘let’s get out’.

“It’s more of a sentimental value really for us. We use this place. We don’t have much outdoor space so we use this.”

Asked what he loved so much about living so close to the valley, Noah beamed: “You never know what you’re going to get. You’re always going to see something, no matter what. You might see a few red kites, you might see a few minnows down by the water, you may even see a rabbit.”

Annie, who lives a few hundred yards from the proposed site, accused the planners of using “cloak and dagger” tactics in presenting the plans to local people.

“The first I knew about it. I got a leaflet through the door, the rest of my neighbours didn’t. Obviously they delivered here and there”, she said. The people who live closest, it was like a one in six chance of getting a leaflet about it.”

Lorraine said that the project has been continually referred to by Hertsmere Borough Council as being in South Mimms, despite residents insisting that it was clearly in Potters Bar. “So many people have been unaware about what’s going on because they thought it was South Mimms problem”, she said.

“We haven’t been notified correctly of what’s going on”, she added.

Residents believe the plans had been in the works before they were announced. On August 20, 2024, Griggs Homes announced it was “excited to share” that it had planning permission to turn a nearby Grade-II listed pub into residential property. However, by September 4, a consultation had been announced by Griggs Homes and Chiltern Green Energy, under the umbrella name of DC01UK, for the construction of the data centre, which would include using the pub as a “data hub”.

The announcement that DC01UK had applied for planning permission came on September 12, the same day the Labour government announced that data centres would be classified as Critical National Infrastructure.

Michael Hunter, 68, who has lived a few hundred yards from the proposed data centre site since 1987, accused the developers of “deceit, instead of being honest”.

Several locals are also worried that a “drone” from the data centre and its possible unsightliness will undermine the value of their homes.

Bus driver Simon Rhodes, 54, whose two sons attend the prestigious Dame Alice Owens school opposite where the data centre will be built said: “The value of my home will definitely go down because people won’t be interested in going to Dame Alice Owens, plus the fact that no one wants to live near a data centre.

“You’re going to wake one day in Potters Bar and realise that you’re part of London.You’re no longer a small town surrounded by beautiful green belt. You’ll wake up in the morning and be like ‘oh I live in the city now’”.

DC01UK has said that the data centre will create £21.4m in business rates once it's operational. It also claimed the project would generate 500 skilled on-site jobs during the construction phase, and 200 permanent, skilled jobs once it's up and running. The developer added that another 10,900 indirect jobs would be supported by the project, but did not specify how.

DCO1UK said in a statement: “DC01UK recognises that large-scale infrastructure projects, particularly those involving green belt land, can generate debate — and we welcome open, honest dialogue with the community.

“DC01UK has consistently engaged with local residents before, during and after the planning process. Our consultation included a public exhibition, direct outreach and meaningful conversations with stakeholders. This feedback directly shaped key elements of our proposal, including the decision to preserve over 50% of the site as green space, significantly increasing the number of trees on site to almost 10,000 and to enhance local walking and cycling links for public benefit. This can all be found in the SCI submitted as part of the planning application.

“We also extended invitations to meet with objector groups ahead of the planning decision. These offers were not taken up at the time. Since approval, however, we’ve met with many residents and addressed several misconceptions surrounding the project.

“DC01UK will be a cornerstone of the UK’s digital Critical National Infrastructure — one of Europe’s largest data centre campuses and a vital part of UK’s national tech resilience. The proposals would also supercharge local and national economic growth, representing a £4.5 billion investment and delivering an estimated £1.15 billion in direct and indirect Gross Value Added per annum, including the 500 jobs involved in construction and 200 new, permanent on site jobs, as well as the 13,700 data-enabled jobs that it would support across the wider digital economy.

“The application was subject to an extensive and independent planning process. Hertsmere Borough Council reviewed the scheme in full accordance with national and local planning policies, including environmental, economic and community impact assessments. The Council held two public consultation periods and followed all statutory procedures.

“While we demonstrated the development could be considered “Appropriate Development” under the updated National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) “grey belt” provisions, the Council at that time did not agree and did not determine the application under Grey Belt Policy and ultimately determined the application on the basis of “Very Special Circumstances”.

“In short, the wide-ranging benefits of the scheme were judged to clearly and demonstrably outweigh any potential harm. This is fully detailed in the council officer’s report and was part of the planning committee’s transparent decision-making. The new NPPF is clear and explicit in how applications such as these should be assessed.

“It’s important to clarify that the land in question is privately owned and not publicly accessible. Claims that it is widely used open space are incorrect. Existing footpaths and bridleways surrounding the site will remain in place and, in fact, will be enhanced — improving community access and connectivity. We also understand residents’ concerns about mental health, green space and property values.

“Our design has prioritised open green areas, and our investment will bring improved infrastructure, transport links and services — all of which support community wellbeing and long-term local value. These were among the points discussed in detail during our March meeting with local objector groups. It’s worth noting the project has received significant local support, with over 500 letters backing the application submitted during the process.

Addressing concerns that Griggs Homes sponsored the local council’s 50th anniversary event, the company said: “We were honoured to support a civic event recognising the borough’s achievements and community spirit — including the work of council officers, elected representatives, and volunteers. We were one of several local sponsors, and our support was agreed transparently and entirely separate from the planning process. Any suggestion of impropriety is simply incorrect.”

Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government said it would not be appropriate to comment on specific cases. Hertsmere Borough Council did not respond to our request for comment.