Tower Hamlets councillors have rejected a proposal for a new data centre on Grey Eagle Street, citing concerns over its design and impact on the surrounding area. The applicant for the data centre proposal is Truman Estates Ltd.
The Strategic Development Committee reviewed planning application PA/24/01450 on Thursday, 31 July 2025. The plan called for the demolition of existing buildings at the corner of Grey Eagle Street and Calvin Street, and the construction of a 5,200 square metre data centre. The application site is currently occupied by a derelict former brewery building, which was last used for beer storage 30 years ago.
However, planning officers recommended that the committee refuse the application, and the committee agreed. According to the report pack, the reasons for refusal included:
- Failure to adopt a design-led approach to site optimisation.
- The development would be visually intrusive and incongruous, harming townscape views.
- Inactive frontages and a lack of natural surveillance would create a poor relationship with adjoining streets.
- Failure to demonstrate compliance with the requirement to deliver a minimum 10% Biodiversity Net Gain.
The specific design elements considered visually intrusive included the overall form of the proposed development, which was deemed harmful to townscape views, and the inactive frontages lacking natural surveillance, creating a poor relationship with the adjoining streets and local context.
The environmental impacts contributing to the Biodiversity Net Gain concerns relate to the development's failure to demonstrate compliance with the statutory requirement to deliver a minimum 10% Biodiversity Net Gain.
The committee's decision will inform the council's stance at a public inquiry scheduled for 14 October 2025, where the Planning Inspectorate will ultimately determine the application on behalf of the Secretary of State. The committee's decision serves as an indicative decision to guide the council's position during the inquiry. The agenda for the meeting also included discussions on the Truman's Brewery redevelopment and a commercial building on Ely's Yard, but the data centre proposal was the only item rejected.
The Strategic Development Committee, chaired by Councillor Amin Rahman, also considered other planning applications at the meeting, including proposals for the Truman's Brewery East site and a commercial building on Ely's Yard. These other applications will be covered in separate reports.
Prior to this application, there was a planning application submitted in 2012, PA/12/02928, for a single-storey ground-level extension for business, storage, distribution, and retail use. However, this application was withdrawn by the applicant.
