British data centers ready for expansion
A survey by data center specialist Onnec has found that local authorities in Britain’s 20 largest cities have overwhelmingly approved data center projects, with 89% of applications receiving planning permission over the past five years. Of the 88 applications assessed, only three were rejected, five were withdrawn and one remained undecided.
For the report, Onnec looked at 44 municipalities and their building applications. The researchers found that data centers are generally approved, indicating local support for digital infrastructure. Providing computing power and data storage for AI deployment makes that support crucial. Only three applications in Sheffield were rejected. Local authorities investigated potential issues surrounding the design and impact of the centres, including whether they would fit in with the character of the area or damage the Green Belt.
Data center distribution
The UK government in particular has made data centers a crucial national infrastructure to highlight their report. That said, the report calls for a holistic approach to planning and a nationwide approach to achieve the best results. Britain has committed £6.3 billion in data center investment as part of its efforts to make Britain a hub for AI. The UK’s Department for Science, Innovation, and Technology (DSIT) is trying to reduce friction in building data centers. Rejected projects were looked at to see where there is room for improvement.
“Data centers are critical to driving AI growth, and with the race for AI supremacy in full swing, Britain has recognized that to move forward the right infrastructure must be in place,” Matt Salter, Data Center Director at Onnec. “Data centers can become the new oil for regions and cities, but only if they are planned holistically – this means considering every aspect of the data center rather than focusing solely on factors such as power and cooling. For example, consider the importance of cabling in providing the bandwidth needed to get the most out of data center hardware.
London is the largest data center market in Europe, but the report suggests we are looking to increase the availability of data centers elsewhere in the country. Relying solely on London means limited power availability, along with sustainability issues. Spreading data centers to other regions would also mean spreading the benefits to the people there. That means improved employment opportunities, not just for data centers, but everywhere where the digital skills needed for data centers are useful.
“Failure to take a holistic approach will result in sites that are not fit for purpose, do not meet the needs of Britain and deteriorate over time. Poor planning can mean that a new data center can feel five years old after its first year. Salter is not yet operational and needs an expensive renovation,” said Salter. “The UK risks losing ground in the race for AI supremacy if data centers are not built to last.”
