Google told it must move 'mystery barge' from San Francisco Bay

Four-storey barge is intended to be an 'interactive learning centre'

The four-storey structure in San Francisco Bay (Reuters)

Google has been told it must remove its four-storey ‘mystery barge’ floating near an island in San Francisco as it does not have the correct permits to keep it there.

The San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission [SFBCDC] determined the west coast based construction did not hold the correct permit, meaning that fines and enforcement proceedings could be brought against the local authority that permitted the project, SFBCDC executive director Larry Goldzband warned.

He added there had been multiple complaints about the structure, according to Sky News. However, Google can move the barge to a nearby properly authorised construction site, Mr Goldzband said.

There had been rumours the 250ft long, 72ft wide barge and a similar one off the US east coast could be a “water-based data centre,” but these claims were quickly dismissed by Google.

"Google Barge ... A floating data center? A wild party boat? A barge housing the last remaining dinosaur? Sadly, none of the above," it said in a statement.

Instead, Google said in November it was exploring “using the barge as an interactive space where people can learn about new technology.”

A spokesperson for Google told the TechCrunch website: “We just received the letter from the San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission and we are reviewing it.”