Campaign group wants 'Data Centre Only' designation removed before any planning application is lodged.
A residents' campaign group is calling on Councillors in Naas to remove the zoning for a proposed second data centre site before any planning application is lodged.
The group wants Kildare County Council to remove the "Data Centre Only" designation from a 54.5-hectare site at Jigginstown, known as the P2 site. The land has been zoned exclusively for data centre use under the Naas Local Area Plan 2021-2027.
The campaign says the site is around seven times the size of Croke Park's stadium footprint and is located within a kilometre of many homes.
The P2 lands are beside a neighbouring site, known as P1, where planning permission was granted by Kildare County Council last year for a six-building data centre campus. That decision is currently before An Bord Pleanála following appeals by both the developer and third-party objectors.
No planning application has yet been lodged for the P2 site.
The campaign group is calling on Councillors to seek a variation to the Naas Local Area Plan to remove the site's exclusive data centre zoning. It is also asking Councillors to oppose the designation of any further land for data centre use in Naas unless there is what it describes as compelling new evidence to support it.
Campaign spokesperson Sorcha O'Neill said the group is not opposed to data centres in principle, but believes the Jigginstown site is unsuitable because of its scale and proximity to residential areas. She said removing the zoning would allow the council to consider a broader range of employment uses for the land.
The group is encouraging residents to contact their Local Councillors ahead of the September meeting of Naas Municipal District.
Listen to the full interview here:
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