Campaigners against the building of a Microsoft data centre complex voiced their opposition at a city centre protest on Saturday (12 September 2026).
Microsoft is continuing to face opposition to the scheme at the former Skelton Grange power station site in Stourton. More than 42,000 people have signed a petition against the development, raising concerns over the amount of water and energy it would use.
On Saturday around 250 gathered for a protest in Millennium Square organised by action group No Leeds Data Centre.
Campaigner Kate Pearson said:
“I don’t think we necessarily need such massive data centres that cause such environmental harm.”
Campaign organiser Lianne Marie Mease was worried about the impact on wildlife during building work at the disused power station site. She said:
“This specific development here Leeds, the size of it is far bigger than it needs to be. The area that it’s being built in was allowed to re-wild over 32 years and clearing that site is going to impact species that are rare or at risk to Leeds.”
Microsoft said the complex, given planning permission in April, would power digital services for communities, businesses and the public sector. The company said in a statement:
“The proposed facility would be air cooled for more than 95 per cent of the time, we match all our energy use with renewable energy, and Microsoft remains committed to our goals of becoming carbon negative, water positive and zero waste by 2030.”
Leeds City Council previously said approval of the planning application was in line with national legislation and policies.
Microsoft’s scheme includes three data centre buildings housing computer servers, along with a warehouse with up to 161,000 sq ft (15,000 sq m), of floorspace.
A public consultation was held on the development, which includes the installation of power connections, cooling chimneys and back-up generators.
This post was written by Don Mort, Local Democracy Reporter
Photo: Michael Broomhead
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Come back to me when there are thousands not hundreds
i’m puzzled.
do people not understand how data infrastructure works?!
“the cloud” does not exist, it’s just someone else’s computer. they need electricty to run but also, they need people – well-paid people – to maintain them. computers won’t go away, jobs will if you protest them for no grounded reason.