Curry, bagels … and AI? Londoners fight plan for huge datacentre in Brick Lane

The Guardian UK Tuesday 07 July 2026, 14:00 UTC By Matthew Taylor 1 min read

Key Points

Residents and council say creating affordable housing is more urgent than ‘high-frequency trading’ in nearby CityCampaigners in east London are opposing plans for a datacentre in Brick Lane that they say will worsen the area’s housing crisis and drive long-term residents away. The road, famed for its curry houses and 24-hour bagel shops, is the latest flashpoint in the rapid rollout of datacentres across the UK that aims to meet demand created by artificial intelligence.

Residents and council say creating affordable housing is more urgent than ‘high-frequency trading’ in nearby City

Campaigners in east London are opposing plans for a datacentre in Brick Lane that they say will worsen the area’s housing crisis and drive long-term residents away.

The road, famed for its curry houses and 24-hour bagel shops, is the latest flashpoint in the rapid rollout of datacentres across the UK that aims to meet demand created by artificial intelligence.

Curry (PERSON) Brick Lane Residents and council (LOCATION) CityCampaigners (LOCATION) London (LOCATION) Brick Lane (LOCATION) UK (LOCATION)

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Curry, bagels … and AI? Londoners fight plan for huge datacentre in Brick Lane

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