Campaigner Martin Little
"It will be like an outdoor prison," Martin tells me. We are standing outside his home near to Tilney St Lawrence, which is encompassed by peaceful, beautiful countryside. If the data centre gets the go head, it will be surrounded by solar panels.
"Not a pleasant outlook," he continues, "They're going to be 4 metres plus tall, plus a security fence around the thing.
"The whole thing's going to be bigger than Heathrow airport. The building itself, the substation, will be 25 metres high, and will cover well over a 100 acres." That will also become part of his view.
"I come out of my back gate, and I stand here and look at it and I think - this is a bad dream - this can't possibly be happening. It is just fundamentally wrong."
It's being called the Longmarsh Green Energy project, and Evolution Power Limited's (EPL's) proposals cover two areas. The Western Site, located to the north-east of Tilney St Lawrence, and the Eastern Site, near to Fincham and Barton Bendish. In total spanning almost 4,700 acres. Both sites would contain solar panels, with the main substation and 'data centre campus' being near to Tilney St Lawrence.
EPL says it is 'essential infrastructure for the modern economy', that data centres are 'crucial to the UK economy as they support the online networks we all rely on'.
Images EPL
Martin is leading a community campaign against the construction, and wants to make it clear those in opposition aren't against data centres, "We all need data centres, because we all use data, we all need electricity - and if you can get it from the sun - great. But we also all need food.
"You can put a data centre almost anywhere, you can put a solar cell almost anywhere - but you cannot grow the kind of quality and quantity of crop this land produces anywhere. It's here, or nowhere.
"I know that agriculture and farming isn't as sexy as data and solar panels, but would you rather eat data or dinner?"
I ask how the proposals make him feel, "Sick frankly and furious all at the same time, forget the value of the house, to think that we will lose this.
"It's quiet, it's wildlife rich - on our 5 acres we've got badgers, hares, rabbits, roe deer, muntjac, grass snakes. Every morning thousands of geese fly over, it's just wonderful and the skies are just magnificent.
"The nights are spectacular. Well, we can kiss goodbye to those, they'll be constant illumination in the sky. As for the deer who I was with this morning, they won't be able to pass through or go on any of this, it'll be surrounded by a 9 foot security fence."
The proposed sites, image EPL
EPL claims the proposals would result in over 25 billion pounds of capital investment in the region, provide over 500 permanent roles, and generate over 20 million in local business rates annually - which could 'be used for local authorities for local improvements'.
Developers say the centre will require up to 1 gigawatt (GW) of power at any given time, whilst the solar farm would generate up to 1.3GW.
Some aspects are still being developed, including a detailed layout and access arrangements. The company's begun a public consultation on the plans, adding that 'it remains open to feedback from residents' and responses will 'help shape the proposals'.
Martin thinks the number of jobs EPL claim the centre will generate is 'ludicrous', he describes claims it will be a self sustaining project using the solar panels as 'greenwashing quite frankly, if you do the sums it's not what it looks like'.
A few weeks into the consultation, he says the communities at both sites are determined to fight, "The response locally has been astonishing, I'm really proud, and it's interesting as it's had the effect of bringing the community together, like I've never seen before.
"This is David and Goliath, it's a very small David, a very cross David, a very wound up David - but it's having traction already."
Image EPL
Because of its scale, it's a nationally significant infrastructure project, so the final say will rest with the government. EPL's expected to formally submit its planning application next April, a decision's expected by September 2028, and it could be operational by 2032.
A petition, started by another concerned resident, has got more than 44 thousand signatures.
"We've promised them a fight, I'm not thinking about what if we lose, can't afford to - in both senses of the word. They will fight tooth and nail. So will we," Martin continues.
"I'm an environmental scientist by background, and I find it deeply offensive that a government is chasing its tail over data security for the nation, and losing sight completely of food security for the nation.
"To locals who aren't engaged - it's now or never. Your community and your environment will never be the same again."
A community meeting's being held Monday 2 November at 6.30pm at Tilney St Lawrence Hall, where residents will have an opportunity to discuss the proposals
Consultation by EPL runs until November the 26th
Petition link: https://www.change.org/p/stop-longmarsh-energy-protect-rural-west-norfolk-from-4-700-acre-data-centre-project
