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Untangling data centres through effective public engagement

News and reflections

From streaming to AI, figures from JLL show the UK will need an additional 2,665 megawatts of data centre capacity between 2022 and 2027 to keep pace with our insatiable appetite for data. 

With the updated NPPF consultation document (July, 2024) estimating the UK’s data centres generate £4.6 billion a year and a pledge from the government to ease planning restrictions to bring forward new facilities, the opportunity is clear.

But it’s evident we’re not keeping pace with demand.

We attended the Data Centre Alliance’s Data Centre Transformation (DCT) Conference in Birmingham to learn more about this booming sector and how we can tackle the major hurdles getting in the way of delivery. 

Tackle misconceptions 

Although data centres are now classified by the Government as ‘critical national infrastructure’, with Technology Secretary Peter Kyle MP describing them as the ‘engine for modern life’, they have always been a slightly obscure part of the development industry.  

A lack of real recognition within national planning policy has been a significant obstacle in bringing them forward. 

While they don’t get as many column inches as housing or other infrastructure projects like hospitals and schools, the facilities are vitally important projects which unlock downstream opportunities for businesses and communities in the modern age.

With the market growing an average of 5.5% per year, driven by the need for cloud-based software and diversification into the utilisation of co-location sites, the boom is unlikely be a temporary one. 

While we may look at the utilitarian exteriors of data centres and assume they are relatively simple to design and build – they are complicated projects in their own right. Not just considering the architectural design, but also location, power supply, cooling, and even the layout of the interiors – all vital matters when putting together an application. 

Educating the public on the critical importance 

Engineering and practical solutions aside, increasing public awareness and leveraging political engagement should be a central priority. 

There is the simple fact that the public knows very little about them.

When speaking to conference attendees, there was a general agreement most people would only be vaguely aware they exist, despite the fact they enable so much of our modern lives. Streaming, financial transactions, online working, 5G smartphones, gaming – all are made possible by their operations. Rather than this being an issue, it could be seen as an opportunity to provide an education piece on the significance of the sector. 

An opportune moment for political engagement?

As the sector has historically received little coverage – unlike an equivalent-sized housing project which may create a layer of scepticism from the public – data centre developers have an opportunity to craft their own narratives and emphasise the benefits through political engagement.

Cllr Jeremy Newmark – Leader of Hertsmere Council – described the submission of a Data Centre application in South Mimms as ‘exciting’, detailing how it aligned with the Council’s vision for future growth.

Similarly, Havering’s Council Leader, Cllr Ray Morgon, has backed the development of a new 600MW Data Centre campus, despite receiving local opposition. The fact councils are beginning to actively and publicly support the proposals is an opportunity the sector should capitalise on. 

Data Centre applications mainly go through local authorities who decide whether a proposal can be approved. Ultimately, this means an application’s future hangs on planning committees, and should it be refused, then this will have a knock-on effect on a programme timeline.

Given our data centres service some of the biggest brands in the world, such as Google, Amazon and Netflix, the months lost going through the lengthy and expensive appeals process is a headache most operators and contractors could do without.

When it’s done well, local and political engagement can be leveraged to prevent this from happening. By engaging closely and proactively with local politicians and groups, the sector should outline how these developments can be beneficial to the local community, which in turn, can turn potential opposition into support for a project.

Challenges certainly remain, however, there was a definite feeling at the conference that our insatiable drive for more data means this is a sector very much in its ascendancy.

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