Tomorrow (Friday, 4th September) the campaign to save East End’s famous Brick Lane from a deeply unpopular data centre will continue, with demonstrations outside the offices of the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) to protest the decision to greenlight the project. This follows a significant public meeting in August where 200 locals joined to express their anger at the decision, and committed to opposing the plans.

This demonstration has been backed by over 20 organisations including the Save Brick Lane Coalition, London Renters Union, Global Action Plan, United Tech and Allied Workers, South Asian Solidarity Group and more.

It will take place at 2 Marsham street in Westminster at 5pm on Friday 4th September 2026.

The demands of the demonstration include:
Reversing the decision to grant Truman Brewery Estates permission to build on the site around the Truman Brewery, including a data centre on Grey Eagle Street adjacent to Brick Lane;
Calling for a nationwide moratorium on data centre approval and construction

In July 2026, the new Secretary of State for Housing Angela Rayner disregarded Tower Hamlets Council’s objections to push through proposals for a luxury housing, office blocks and a new data centre in the historic area of Brick Lane, the heart of Tower Hamlets’ ‘Banglatown’. The plans had been opposed by local councillors across political parties.

There is also significant popular opposition to the project. Critics point to Tower Hamlets’ lengthy social housing waiting list comprising over 30,000 households. Alternative proposals produced by locals and the Save Brick Lane coalition show that the site could provide around 350 new homes.

Further concerns include the environmental impact of the project, and the fact that the national government has ignored local democracy by discarding communities and councillors who oppose the project.

Hajera from Nijjor Manush says

“This shameful decision by Angela Rayner’s ministry is an indictment of the ‘new’ government’s priorities – offering sops to firms of the financial district at the expense of the working class locals of Tower Hamlets.

So too is its perverse rationale that neoliberalism, commercial development and gentrification are the way out of the housing crisis.

This demonstration comes as a growing number of organisations and political parties across Britain are demanding a moratorium on data centre construction – on Friday we will represent the real ‘change’ and the popular will that this government claims to champion.”

Jonathan Moberly from the Save Brick Lane coalition says

“Looking at this move, the ‘change’ promised by the new administration of Andy Burnham is breathtakingly out of step with the times.

The London borough of Tower Hamlets is one of the hottest boroughs in England, faces chronic overcrowding and has a social housing queue exceeding 30,000 households.

For Angela Rayner’s ministry to approve plans for a polluting data centre, in the midst of a drought and deadly heat, while passing over a community plan that would offer nearly 350 desperately needed social housing units, is a calculated slap in the face”