Private prototype. Facts from research on 2 to 3 October 2026; not yet reviewed for publication. Forms do not submit.

All schemes

Council said no - overruledLondon, England

Truman Brewery data centre and mixed-use redevelopment (Old Truman Brewery, Brick Lane)

The Secretary of State allowed all four recovered appeals on 29 July 2026, granting planning permission for the data centre and the wider mixed-use scheme, following the Inspector's recommendation. The six-week High Court challenge window closed on 9 September 2026 and Tower Hamlets Council declined to bring a judicial review; I found no report of any claim filed by anyone else. [S1] [S2] [S6]

Key facts

Status
Council said no - overruled (approved) [S1] [S2] [S6]
Decided by
Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government (decision issued by Housing Minister Matthew Pennycook on the Secretary of State's behalf); Tower Hamlets Council is the local planning authority [S1] [S2]
Applicant
Truman Estates Ltd (Appeals A, B and D); Zeloof LLP (Appeal C) [S2] [S7] [S8] [S11] [S14] [S23]
Developer or backer
Zeloof family interests (Ely Zeloof and sons, per DCD); development manager Grow Places (CEO Tom Larsson); masterplanner Buckley Gray Yeoman
End user (reported)
Financial-sector / high-frequency trading users reported (LBC, Novara Media); no named tenant found. Truman Estates said proximity to financial firms enables faster transactions
References
APP/E5900/W/25/3367041; APP/E5900/W/25/3367172; APP/E5900/W/25/3367179; APP/E5900/Y/25/3367369; PA/24/01450; PA/24/01451; PA/24/01439; PA/24/01475
Location
Data centre (Appeal A): corner of Grey Eagle Street and Calvin Street (47 Grey Eagle Street), E1, within the Brick Lane Conservation Area, on the Old Truman Brewery estate. The wider mixed-use scheme (Appeals B and C) covers the brewery estate between Brick Lane, Buxton Street, Spital Street, Woodseer Street, Hanbury Street and Ely's Yard / Dray Walk. [S2] [S3] [S19]
Buildings
One data centre building, maximum about 29m high (41.78m AOD), on the Grey Eagle Street / Calvin Street corner; wider scheme includes five new buildings plus refurbishment of the Boiler House and Cooperage [S2] [S3] [S14] [S17] [S20]
Investment (claimed)
GBP500m for the wider mixed-use redevelopment (press reports; not itemised for the data centre) [S2] [S3] [S14] [S17] [S20]
Backup generators
Planning committee papers describe computer servers, a cooling plant and emergency back-up generators; the decision letter conditions bar installing generators until details are approved (Condition 27, Annex B1). Number and size not found [S2] [S4]
Cooling and water
Cooling plant described; water use figures not published in any source I could open [S2] [S4]
Designations
Brick Lane Conservation Area; Grade II listed Boiler House (Appeal D, listed building consent); City Fringe Opportunity Area (development plan context) [S2] [S3] [S22]
Previous use
Disused cold store / derelict building on Grey Eagle Street (described as utterly derelict in the decision) [S2] [S3] [S22]
Environmental assessment
Not found in the sources opened [S2] [S3] [S22]
Public objections
110 [S3] [S4] [S6] [S10] [S12] [S13] [S15] [S17] [S20] [S24]

Timeline

  1. 2024-08
    Four applications submitted to Tower Hamlets Council by Truman Estates and Zeloof LLP (month only reported; exact validation dates not found) [S18] [S19]
  2. 2025-06
    Appeals lodged with the Planning Inspectorate against the council's failure to determine the applications (month only reported) [S2] [S13]
  3. 31 July 2025
    Tower Hamlets Strategic Development Committee resolved unanimously that it would have refused the data centre (PA/24/01450) and the other applications, had it been able to determine them. Officers had recommended refusal of the data centre only [S3] [S4] [S16]
  4. 14 October 2025
    Public inquiry opened (ran to 31 October 2025); Save Brick Lane took part as a Rule 6 party; Inspector Paul Griffiths [S2] [S5] [S16]
  5. 23 October 2025
    Appeals recovered for the Secretary of State's own determination (reported in the press as 'called in') [S2]
  6. 31 October 2025
    Inquiry ended [S2] [S5]
  7. 29 July 2026
    Decision letter and Inspector's Report published; all four appeals allowed, Inspector's recommendation accepted [S1] [S2] [S5]
  8. 4 September 2026
    'Home not Data Centres' protest at the Ministry of Housing, 2 Marsham Street (announced by Save Brick Lane) [S6] [S9]
  9. 9 September 2026
    Six-week deadline to apply to the High Court expired; the council did not pursue judicial review [S2] [S6]

Politicians and organisations

  • Tower Hamlets Council: Strategic Development Committee resolution of 31 July 2025 that it would have refused (unanimous); council opposed the scheme at inquiry
  • Lutfur Rahman, Mayor of Tower Hamlets: opposed; wrote to Steve Reed in November 2025 and called the approval a missed opportunity / scandal
  • Cllr Faysal Ahmed (Aspire): said remaining recourse was to lobby government
  • Tower Hamlets Green Party (opposed)
  • Save Brick Lane (coalition of nine resident and heritage groups incl. Nijjor Manush, East End Preservation Society, Bangladeshi East End Heritage, East End Trades Guild, Spitalfields Life, House of Annetta, Spitalfields Trust)
  • Global Action Plan (Stop Dirty Data Centres)
  • Nijjor Manush

Claims

Claims by developers, campaigners or councils, recorded as claims and not checked as fact.

  • Save Brick Lane (campaigners): Data centre would use power equivalent to about 15,000 homes [S9] [S15]
  • Save Brick Lane (campaigners): Site could deliver about 300 social homes instead of the 44 homes approved (6 social rent, 11 affordable) [S12] [S15]
  • Tower Hamlets Council (as reported by The Guardian via AOL) (council): Council adopted an alternative masterplan in September 2024 proposing about 350 homes [S12]
  • Truman Estates (developer): Physical proximity of data centres to financial firms enables faster electronic transactions [S23]
  • Decision letter, paragraph 43, recording common ground (other): Need for data centre capacity in London is agreed between appellant and council [S2]
  • Press reports of Truman Estates / Zeloof LLP proposals (developer): Whole scheme worth GBP500m; commercial element would create about 260 jobs [S14] [S21]
  • Save Brick Lane coalition (as reported by Tribune) (campaigners): More than 7,000 objections were gathered by the coalition [S15]

Campaigns

Sources

  1. [S1] Recovered appeal: Sites on and around the site of Truman Brewery, Tower Hamlets, London (refs: 3367041, 3367172, 3367179 and 3367369 - 29 July 2026). GOV.UK (MHCLG), 29 July 2026. Level 1 source.
  2. [S2] Combined decision letter and Inspector's Report, Truman Brewery recovered appeals 3367041, 3367172, 3367179, 3367369. MHCLG via assets.publishing.service.gov.uk, 29 July 2026. Level 1 source.
  3. [S3] PA/24/01450: Land at the corner of Grey Eagle Street and Calvin Street, E1 (Strategic Development Committee 31 July 2025). Tower Hamlets Council (moderngov), 31 July 2025. Level 1 source.
  4. [S4] Strategic Development Committee 31/07/2025, Section One (unrestricted) agenda and reports pack. Tower Hamlets Council (moderngov), 31 July 2025. Level 1 source.
  5. [S5] Secretary of State allows Truman Brewery redevelopment appeals. Landmark Chambers. Level 5 source.
  6. [S6] Campaigner urges council to seize Brick Lane site. Tower Hamlets Slice, 10 September 2026. Level 4 source.
  7. [S7] UK government approves controversial 5.2MW Truman Brewery data center proposal. DatacenterDynamics. Level 5 source.
  8. [S8] Data centre in Brick Lane approved despite fierce opposition. LBC. Level 4 source.
  9. [S9] Save Brick Lane. Save Brick Lane (campaign website). Level 6 source.
  10. [S10] Campaigners fight to 'save Brick Lane' amid proposals for data centre on historic site. Hackney Citizen, 3 February 2026. Level 4 source.
  11. [S11] Labour forces through London data centre amid worst drought in decades. Novara Media, 3 August 2026. Level 4 source.
  12. [S12] Approval of east London datacentre labelled 'slap in the face' for local democracy (Guardian syndication). AOL UK. Level 4 source.
  13. [S13] Opposition mounts to Brick Lane data centre plans as Reed decision awaited. East London Lines, 7 May 2026. Level 4 source.
  14. [S14] Rayner waves through GBP500m London Truman Brewery plan. Construction Enquirer, 31 July 2026. Level 5 source.
  15. [S15] Brick Lane Needs Social Housing, Not a Data Centre. Tribune. Level 4 source.
  16. [S16] Save Brick Lane - Inquiry (CrowdJustice case page). CrowdJustice. Level 6 source.
  17. [S17] MHCLG approves BGY's controversial Truman Brewery plans. Building. Level 5 source.
  18. [S18] Government approves Truman Brewery mixed-use plan. Construction Management. Level 5 source.
  19. [S19] Anger over plans for data center at Truman Brewery in London's Brick Lane. DatacenterDynamics, 20 January 2026. Level 5 source.
  20. [S20] Brick Lane: How a single data centre beat unanimous local opposition. Capacity, 11 August 2026. Level 5 source.
  21. [S21] Truman Brewery Planning Approved By UK Govt 2026. East London Times. Level 4 source.
  22. [S22] Government gives go-ahead to Truman Brewery plans. OnLondon. Level 4 source.
  23. [S23] Protesters call for homes instead of Brick Lane data centre. Tower Hamlets Slice, 5 June 2026. Level 4 source.
  24. [S24] Campaigners unite to stop dirty Data Centres. Global Action Plan. Level 6 source.