Protesters assembled in Caernarfon on Saturday to voice their opposition to plans for a major new data centre, citing fears over the project’s impact on the local environment and community.
Canolfan Ddata Menai has proposed constructing the facility on a 101-acre plot situated between Caernarfon and Y Felinheli in Gwynedd. The developers argue the site is currently long-derelict and claim the complex would revitalize the area while creating more than 900 construction jobs and 200 permanent positions.
Despite these promises, an estimated 300 people attended the rally to highlight their concerns. Organizers reported that nearly 15,000 individuals have signed a petition opposing the development.
Ernest Dyson, a resident living near the proposed site, described the location as “the most beautiful part of the Menai Strait” and characterized the project as destructive. “The people of the area are custodians of it. That’s what we must think of,” Dyson said during the event.
Liz Saville Roberts, the Plaid Cymru Member of Parliament for Dwyfor Meirionnydd, joined the demonstrators. While acknowledging the necessity of data centres, she stressed that they must be appropriately sized, utilize suitable technology, and be located in the right places.
“We have too long a history in Wales of extractive industries that left nothing behind and have little benefit for communities. That mustn’t happen again in the 21st Century,” Roberts stated, calling for robust regulations to ensure local communities receive tangible benefits.
In response to the backlash, Canolfan Ddata Menai maintained that the project would preserve access to local amenities, including the Lôn Las Menai cycleway and footpath. The company further asserted that the development would have no undue impact on the Menai Strait or an adjacent site of special scientific interest (SSSI).
I get the need for digital infrastructure, but locating it in such a sensitive ecological area seems like a blatant oversight.
15,000 signatures is a massive mandate. It makes you wonder why the planners gave this site a second look at all.
Jobs sound good, but what good are 200 permanent roles if we lose the Menai Strait forever? Priorities are clearly wrong here.