Controversial development plans have been revealed for Brick Lane's legendary Truman Brewery

"Brick Lane is one of London's most beloved, and buzzing, areas. Home to the largest Bangladeshi community outside of Bangladesh, nowadays the cobbled street in the East End is known just as much for its curry houses and vintage shops as its ubiquity of fashionable young shoppers, TikTokkers and trendy coffee shops. At the centre of Brick Lane is the great Truman Brewery. Currently, the building that was once London's largest brewery is home to food and vintage markets, record stores, music venues and more."

"But that could all change in the future, as the building's landlords are pushing ahead with plans to redevelop the beloved brewery, despite widespread opposition. The building's owners, the Zeloof family, have been trying to secure planning permission from Tower Hamlets council for years to redevelop the brewery. The latest attempt could see the iconic building turned into a data centre, alongside 44 flats and a new retail space. The 44 flats would include 11 social housing units."

"The Brick Lane server could be one of dozens of new data centres proposed for London. In October, the government declared data centres 'nationally significant infrastructure projects', and vowed to make it easier for developers to win approval. But building new servers in a city that's already short on space could be at odds with the government's plans to build new homes in the capital."

The Truman Brewery on Brick Lane currently hosts markets, record stores and music venues and sits at the heart of a vibrant East End community. The Zeloof family, owners of the building, are seeking planning permission from Tower Hamlets council to redevelop the site into a data centre alongside 44 flats, including 11 social housing units, and new retail space. The proposal follows a government designation making data centres nationally significant infrastructure projects and raises concerns about land scarcity, conflict with housing goals, and substantial strain on London's electricity grid capacity.

Read at Time Out London