Council accused of rushing controversial data centre plan

Martin Shipton

Cardiff council has been accused of “rushing to committee” with a controversial proposal to build a huge data centre that has attracted more individual objections than any other plan in the authority’s history.

Planning officers have recommended that the data centre, which would be built on the site of the city’s current east park-and-ride, should go ahead.

But Nick Richards, who founded the community group Save Cardiff East to oppose the scheme, said: “Following the close of the public consultation window, it is now confirmed, with over 3,000 individual objections, that this is the most objected-to planning application in Wales’ history.

“In the past week the BBC has identified four other sites where on-site gas powered generation will be employed. The UK Government’s ‘Data Centre Covenant’ recommends gas power as the dominant strategy to work around grid connection delays.

“Yesterday our local council planning officer recommended approving the Cardiff East Data Centre planning application, despite Natural Resources Wales’ [NRW’s] major concerns.

“This coming Monday [November 9] the planning committee will visit the Cardiff East Park and Ride site.

“A special committee meeting is being held next Thursday [November 12], where they will decide on the application. I have petitioned to speak at this meeting on behalf of local residents, and I assume the press will be in attendance in large numbers.

“Senior Labour councillor Lee Bridgeman and Shav Taj MS have submitted formal objections. Meanwhile Welsh Government work on planning policies for data centres is still ongoing.

“Our question being asked is why is the council rushing this to committee? They refused the request to delay the meeting. It could easily have gone to next month’s scheduled planning meeting. There is a lot to be discussed here.”

The council planning officer’s report states that NRW maintains concerns because further information is required on land contamination and the risks to controlled waters from energy infrastructure, pollutant storage and firewater.

In relation to flood risk, the development plateau is predicted to remain flood-free in the design event, but shallow flooding, excessive velocities and hazardous conditions are predicted in the extreme event. NRW advises that it has not been demonstrated that the development would avoid increasing flood risk elsewhere in the 0.1% annual exceedance probability event with climate change and bridge blockage, particularly in relation to Ball Lane and third-party land.

‘Incorrect’

A Cardiff Council spokesperson responded: “It is incorrect to suggest that the Local Planning Authority is rushing this application to the Planning Committee.

“The formal consultation period concluded on October 28 and, although there was no statutory requirement to undertake a further consultation on the amended plans, the Local Planning Authority considered it appropriate to provide an additional 21-day non-statutory consultation period to give residents and other interested parties a further opportunity to comment.

“The application will only be presented to the Planning Committee once officers are satisfied that all relevant material planning considerations have been properly considered and the application is in a position to be determined.

“A special Planning Committee meeting has been arranged specifically to consider this application on November 12, with a committee site visit taking place beforehand.

“The council also accepts representations after the formal consultation period has closed, including representations relating to the published committee report up to 24 hours before the meeting. This ensures that relevant representations received ahead of the committee’s consideration can be taken into account before a decision is made.”