Community opposition stops Katoomba data centre project as UK village protests similar plan

In Katoomba, a small town in the Blue Mountains of Australia, a proposal for a one‑to‑two megawatt data centre near North Katoomba Public School was withdrawn after a fierce community campaign. Residents gathered nearly 1,000 petition signatures, distributed flyers and formed the “No Data Centres in Katoomba” group. Claire Spry, president of the local P&C association, said the plan was “really ill‑considered”.

In Southfleet, a village of fewer than 1,000 people in Kent, England, locals are objecting to the proposed £3 billion Ebbsfleet AI Data Centre that would occupy 145 acres of former farmland. Residents such as 75‑year‑old Anthony Tasselli described the plan as “disgusting” and warned of noise, pressure on water and power supplies, and the bypassing of the local council in favour of a national‑level decision.