Fake letter claims Amsterdam must give up 30,000 homes

Residents living near the planned data centre in Amsterdam-Sloterdijk have received a letter bearing the municipality's logo that did not come from the municipality. It is Microsoft's data centre, with three large towers.

The letter says the municipality must give up building 30,000 homes because of limited capacity on the power grid. It also warns of noise nuisance from construction, for which residents may be compensated.

A spokesperson for alderman Alexander Scholtes, who is responsible for spatial planning, said the claim about homes is wrong: "It is not true that 30,000 fewer homes will be built because of a lack of electricity."

Scholtes said he understands the concerns about large data centres. But he called it "very objectionable" that incorrect information is being spread under the municipality's logo. "That abuses the trust of people in Amsterdam, who should be able to assume that a letter from their council really does come from their council."

Geef Tegengas!, the campaign group behind a protest against the data centre, says the letter did not come from it. It works with many action groups and organisations opposed to new data centres. It said it could imagine that, if the letter is fake, it comes from one of them. That is the group's own supposition.