• Plans to develop a data center on a former factory site in North Wales are being opposed in demonstrations and a petition
• The site has sat derelict since 2008 and contains asbestos contamination
• The 450 megawatt site would cover over 40 hectares

Plans for a data center on the site of a former factory near the Menai Strait in Wales have seen demonstrations opposing the development attended by hundreds, with an online petition signed by over 24,000 people.

The plans for the AI data center would span the former Ferodo factory site and cover an area “equivalent to 57 football pitches”.

But there is a heavy divide in opinion for the proposed data center. The developers say the site would create 200 permanent positions alongside hundreds of temporary construction jobs, but those opposed argue the site doesn’t offer a clear and sustainable benefit for local residents.

Development proposed on former factory site

The site of the proposed AI data center is a derelict factory at Griffith’s Crossing, near Caernarfon, that has sat unused since the site’s permanent closure in 2008. The former factory was also the site of one of the longest industrial disputes that lasted almost 1,000 days.

Developers Canolfan Ddata Mena submitted plans for the site in late 2025, with the blueprint stating that in order to redevelop the 40 hectare site, “all existing buildings and structures on the site will be demolished.”

The site would require a 450MW power connection “powered in part by local renewable sources”, but would also include “ecological enhancement measures” while collaboration with local education providers would seek to “maximise local training opportunities during construction and operation,” the development plans state.

A demonstration against the development took place on Y Maes, Caernarfon, with around 300 attendants. Plaid Cymru MP Liz Saville Roberts told attendees, “The sheer scale of these proposals is staggering. We are not talking about a modest development, but a data centre complex covering an area equivalent to 57 football pitches on the shores of the Menai Strait.”

“Such a dramatic change to this landscape demands the highest level of scrutiny and public engagement,” the Plaid MP said. “We have too long a history in Wales of extractive industries that left nothing behind and have little benefit for communities. That mustn’t happen again in the 21st Century.”

The former Ferodo factory site once produced asbestos-based brake linings with some of the building containing asbestos insulation, raising concerns over potential contamination if the demolition of the site goes ahead.

The developers said that all works would be completed in line with Hazardous Waste Regulations, with contaminated materials being disposed of at a licensed landfill facility in northern England.

The site has been previously considered for other developments, but plans for a prison were dropped in favor of other sites, and a proposed holiday park was denied permission following environmental and local planning objections.