North Holland: North Holland province to prevent new facility in Uithoorn
May 05, 2023 | Posted by MadalineDunn
The Province of Noord-Holland (North Holland) has launched an objection against the development of a new data center project in De Kwakel, Uithoorn. This is the latest intergovernmental dispute over a data center in the Netherlands, where the climate is growing increasingly hostile to data center developments.
This filing comes after the Province of Noord-Holland adopted a new data center strategy last year, which only permitted the construction of new data centers in the municipalities of Amsterdam, Haarlemmermeer and Hollands Kroon.
Although the municipality of Uithoorn has already granted an environmental permit for the data center project, the Province has outlined that it outranks the municipality regarding environmental legislation. Thus the permit is redundant.
Speaking about its reasoning behind the block, the Province of North Holland said: "A data center within a greenhouse horticulture concentration area is undesirable because this activity has no spatially relevant relationship with greenhouse horticulture" the Province of North Holland said.
Further, it outlined that by only permitting new data centers in three municipalities, "targeted investments" can be made in strengthening the energy infrastructure so electricity is also available for housing and schools.
This filing comes after the Province of Noord-Holland adopted a new data center strategy last year, which only permitted the construction of new data centers in the municipalities of Amsterdam, Haarlemmermeer and Hollands Kroon.
Although the municipality of Uithoorn has already granted an environmental permit for the data center project, the Province has outlined that it outranks the municipality regarding environmental legislation. Thus the permit is redundant.
Speaking about its reasoning behind the block, the Province of North Holland said: "A data center within a greenhouse horticulture concentration area is undesirable because this activity has no spatially relevant relationship with greenhouse horticulture" the Province of North Holland said.
Further, it outlined that by only permitting new data centers in three municipalities, "targeted investments" can be made in strengthening the energy infrastructure so electricity is also available for housing and schools.