Environmental campaigners delivered a petition signed by more than 54,000 people to Google's London headquarters on 4 November, urging the technology company to abandon plans for a major data centre development on a former Essex raceway site. According to BBC News, Google declined to accept the petition, though the company did not formally confirm or deny the refusal.
The proposed development would occupy 52 hectares of the former Arena Essex Raceway near Purfleet, a site designated as a Local Wildlife Site in 2006. Google's plans include four data centre buildings totalling 130,500 square metres and a separate office building. Conservationists argue the project would destroy more than 80% of the site's protected habitats, threatening species including rare bumblebees, endangered broad-leaved cudweed, butterflies, and nightingales.
The petition represents a significant show of public opposition to the scheme. According to Buglife, the conservation charity, the species at risk include the Brown-banded Carder Bee and Dingy Skipper butterfly. The organisation also noted that 1,000 people had submitted formal objections to the planning application, with more than 3,000 opposing the data-centre allocation in the Local Plan consultation process.
Jamie Robins, programmes manager at Buglife, characterised the development as contradicting Google's environmental commitments.
Handing in this petition today is making it clear to Google that their Thurrock Data Centre plans are inappropriate and unwanted. During a nature and climate emergency, with our insects in decline, we should be protecting our precious wildlife sites and need powerful companies to lead and make better decisions.
Emily Buttress of Essex Wildlife Trust warned of cascading ecological damage.
Its loss would be devastating for the local area. It would fragment the ecological network even further, putting already at-risk wildlife under an even greater threat.
What is Google's response?
Google has maintained that data centres are essential infrastructure for the UK economy and digital services. A company spokesperson stated:
Data centres are vital to the UK, providing the critical infrastructure required to power our digital economy and the online services used by people in every corner of the UK.
The company said it was committed to sustainable development at the site and claimed to be working with Natural England and ecological experts.
Our goal is to regenerate the site, bringing long-term investment and jobs to Thurrock while taking our environmental responsibilities very seriously. We are working closely with Natural England and ecological experts to guarantee a 10% Biodiversity Net Gain. Our proposal also ensures a substantial part of the site is preserved for new public open space, green links, retained habitat, and the long-term enhancement of key woodland corridors.
What is the planning status?
The planning application, reference 25/00573/OUT, is being submitted by Global Infrastructure UK Ltd. According to Protect Langdon, a local campaign group, Thurrock Council is considering the application separately from the broader Local Plan process. The draft Thurrock Local Plan allocates the site for a data-centre campus under Policy SS03, and Protect Langdon filed a formal representation on 12 October 2026 asking the independent Planning Inspector to remove that policy.
What happens next?
Thurrock Council continues to assess the planning application, which remains under consideration. The project website indicates no decision has yet been made on whether to approve the scheme. The outcome will determine whether the former raceway site is developed for data centre infrastructure or preserved for alternative uses, including the green space and public access that campaigners are demanding.
