Residents alarmed by plans for major Norfolk data centre
Plans for what could become one of the UK’s largest data centres have alarmed residents of a rural Norfolk village, after developer Evolution Power Limited (EPL) unveiled proposals to build the site on farmland just outside Tilney St Lawrence, a short drive from King’s Lynn.
The scheme, called Longmarsh Green Energy, would need as much as one gigawatt at peak demand, backed by a new solar farm capable of generating up to 1.3GW. Announced on Thursday, it has already left residents feeling “shocked” by its scale, according to locals.
The data centre itself would sit south of the A47 in an area of farmland, connecting into the existing electricity substation at Walpole. A solar farm would be built across two separate sites — one surrounding the data centre, another near the villages of Fincham and Barton Bendish — together covering about 4,695 acres (1,900 hectares). EPL says the project would create thousands of construction jobs and more than 500 permanent operational roles, with the site running by 2032 if given the green light.
EPL, founded in 2021 and led by directors Giles Frampton and Conor McNally, is working with Finnish energy investor Korkia on the scheme. Previous schemes from the pair include a 474-acre renewable project in Ashford, Kent, plus a 262-acre development near Luton Airport that was initially rejected by its local council before winning approval on appeal. The same two men are additionally behind a contested waste incinerator near Dorset’s Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site, a plan Dorset Council refused in 2023 before central government overturned that refusal on appeal; separately, Sevenoaks District Council has recently rejected an unrelated solar farm proposed for greenbelt land.
Because of its scale, Longmarsh Green Energy counts as a Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project, meaning central government — not the local council — will make the final call. Residents can still respond to a public consultation running on the project’s website until 26 November, ahead of a planning application expected by April 2027; the Planning Inspectorate could then take up to six months to examine it, with a decision possible by July 2028. EPL describes the scheme as “essential infrastructure for the modern economy” that would support “digital services people use every day”.
Locals are less convinced. Sophie Pendrick said she felt “scared” by the unknown disruption and worried about water use: “It looks huge,” she said. “Why here when there is other places they could look at where the land isn’t so rich, like brownfield sites?” Shop and pub owner Sam Patel said the project could be “great for the nation” but questioned what benefit it would bring the community, and voiced concern about construction traffic.
Alistair Beales, Independent leader of the Borough Council of King’s Lynn and West Norfolk, said he supported renewable energy in principle but felt Norfolk was shouldering a disproportionate share of such projects nationally: “I think that is problematic for our local communities.” He also questioned whether the site’s proximity to RAF Marham could complicate the scheme, citing glare from solar panels as a potential issue raised elsewhere: “We have seen objections elsewhere because of the dazzle [from solar farms]. We are talking about national security here.” Potential harm to nearby nature sites and the local road network are among the other concerns raised so far.
Source: BBC News