Wildlife charity tells Google to find new site for Essex data centre
The proposed plans are for the Arena Essex Raceway in Thurrock
The wildlife charity Buglife has called for tech giant Google to find a new site for a proposed data centre campus in South Essex.
The call comes as plans for a sprawling development on The Arena Essex Raceway in Thurrock, have come forward.
It may not seem it, but the 52 hectares has earned Local Wildlife Site status, and if built upon, would put the future of invertebrate populations at risk.
The Arena Essex Raceway in Thurrock is separated from the Lakeside Retail Park by the A13.
Once upon a time stock cars and bikes lined up to cross the finish line first, but now it is home to a unique mosaic of flowery grasslands, sandy bare ground, scrub and young woodland.
It's home to invertebrate such as Brown-banded Carder Bee (Bombus humilis), five-banded Weevil-wasp (Cerceris quinquefasciata) and Dingy Skipper butterfly (Erynnis tages).
Additionally many rare plants can be found such as Endangered Broad-leaved Cudweed (Filago pyramidata) and birds such as Red Listed Nightingale (Luscinia megarhynchos).
The Google-associated ‘Global Infrastructure UK Limited’ plans would lead to over 80% of its ‘Open Mosaic Habitat' being lost.
Jamie Robins, Buglife Programmes Manager, says, “Arena Essex is a really unique place for nature in Thurrock."
"This is simply the wrong place for Google to think of building a data centre- to live up to its sustainability ambitions, it shouldn’t even consider bulldozing a Local Wildlife Site.
"Against the background of a nature emergency, with our insects in steep decline, we have to protect our best remaining habitats - and for powerful companies to make better decisions.”
Thurrock has already seen the loss of multiple Local Wildlife Sites to development in recent years, with further threats on the horizon including the Lower Thames Crossing development and the expansion of the Port of Tilbury.
Wildlife charity Buglife has launched a petition which has achieved over 2,000 supporters in under two days.
Google says in its 2025 Sustainability Report it "cultivates nature on our campuses” and “rebuilds nature in the very places it’s been paved over”.