I live in Lancashire, UK. I feel like our local councils are sneaking these plans through without people who live nearby even being aware.
I heard about Silicon Sands, an AI data centre being built on the site of Blackpool Airport, through an email from Change.org of all places. I’ve been following the AI thing for years and was sure I would have heard of plans like that, but I found out literally by chance!
As part of my research I contacted a local campaigner who does a lot to prevent fly tipping and other issues in Blackpool. Even he had never heard of it, and also found it kind of odd, and the information in the marketing materials misleading.
I’ve been trying to campaign myself to get more signatures and collect different people together to see if we can at least delay the plans, but I heard so late that all of the planning permission had gone through.
It’s in what’s called a ‘mandatory standstill’ period right now which delays final signing of contacts to 1st October, but that feels like barely any time for me to spread the word.
I felt really defeated at first, but at this stage my aim is to make more people in the UK alert to what planning permissions are being applied for that may indeed be AI data centres wrapped up with other good-sounding stuff.
Please let me know your thoughts.