Yet behind the capital’s digital infrastructure dominance lies a battle for the supply of the land, water, and electricity needed to tackle London’s housing crisis.
asserted
battle → lie → crisis
The giant server houses have attracted criticism over high energy and water use, noise pollution and letting off harmful fumes, but few understand what the data centre boom means for the capital.
asserted
boom → attract → capital
In fact, few truly know what data centres do.
asserted
centres → know → what
Yet many know why they don’t want one in their backyard.
asserted
they → know → backyard
Housing Secretary Angela Rayner has waved through several data centre developments, including sprawling campuses in Abbot’s Langley and Buckinghamshire, but critics say her embrace of Britain’s digital revolution is taking its toll on housing.
asserted
embrace → wave → housing
According to research by the GLA, parts of the capital’s grid in Hillingdon, Hounslow, and Ealing have already reached full capacity, halting new housing developments.
uncertain
parts → accord → developments
The power demand of energy-intensive sectors, like the data centre industry, could see demand rocket by more than 600% by 2050, placing strain on the grid.
uncertain
demand → see → grid
Tensions have reached breaking point in Tower Hamlets when Andy Burnham’s government gave the green light for the Truman Brewery data centre project.
asserted
government → reach → project
There are some 28,000 families on the council waiting list for social housing, so news of another data centre on a site which could have accommodated 350 homes has sparked pushback.
uncertain
which → be → pushback
“It’s a lost opportunity for a serious amount of housing,” says local campaigner Jonathan Moberly, member of the Save Brick Lane campaign.
asserted
Moberly → ’ → campaign
“You could activate the street by bringing housing into it, or kill it off for good by putting a data center there.”
uncertain
You → activate → center
According to campaigners, the proposed 5.2MW facility will suck up enough electricity to power 15,000 homes.
uncertain
facility → accord → homes
City traders based just minutes away will have access to ultra fast internet for high frequency trading.
asserted
traders → base → trading
However, local residents won’t benefit from that - although the project, put forward by property owners Truman Estates and Zeloof LLP, is also delivering offices, a supermarket, a cinema and a number of homes.
asserted
project → benefit → homes
Mr Moberly says that while ‘Big Tech’ promises plenty of new jobs, the reality is the majority of those are in the construction phase, with the average data centre only requires between 12 to 15 staff across a week.
asserted
centre → say → week
The impact on footfall could “erase the character and heritage” of an area like Brick Lane, says Faysal Ahmed, councillor for Spitalfields and Bangla Town.
uncertain
Ahmed → erase → Spitalfields
He received more than 7,000 objections from residents who fear for the future of the area - widely known as the curry capital of Europe.
asserted
who → receive → Europe
Please listen to us, the residents, and review this decision and reverse it,” he said.
asserted
he → listen → it
Ms Rayner has said she has seen “no detailed evidence” on whether an alternative, housing-led development was feasible and the government said its decision was in line with the recommendations of the independent planning inspector.
asserted
decision → say → inspector
It claimed the harm to the area’s heritage will be “minor” and that the facility will help crackdown on anti-social behaviour in and among the derelict buildings, while highlighting the need for more data centres and the economic benefits that come with them.
asserted
that → claim → them
Living alongside these server houses can also pose serious concerns about quality of life.
asserted
Living → live → life
In Acton, families have said they feel “betrayed” by plans for a data centre facility on the Frogmore Estate, operated by Kao Data.
asserted
they → say → Data
Olivia Law-Zygadlo, a local parent, told the Standard she was concerned about the impact on her son’s severe breathing difficulties.
asserted
she → tell → difficulties
Campaigners say data centres have a large impact on air quality - just one of Mr Moberly’s concerns.
asserted
centres → say → concerns
Every month diesel generators stored at data centre facilities are required to be tested, sending plumes of toxic gases into the air.
asserted
generators → store → air
Some data centres, like Kao Data, are implementing the use of vegetable fat generated from restaurant waste, which is a cleaner fuel with minimal greenhouse emissions.
asserted
which → implement → emissions
Other residents allege that they were not properly consulted ahead of local planning decisions.
“We’ve been walked right over,” claims Hazel Garcia, who lives opposite the existing data centre operated by Vantage.
uncertain
who → allege → Vantage
She claims low-frequency humming from the facility and heat generation as just two of the problems that residents are facing.
uncertain
residents → claim → that
She fears another facility would only add to their anguish.
asserted
facility → fear → anguish
But Adam Nethersole, the senior vice president of sales and marketing at Kao Data, insists that the operator wants to be a “positive neighbour” and a “responsible operator.”
asserted
operator → insist → Data
“We are taking a derelict industrial estate and we are going to turn it into a future-proof industry, which will provide inward investment, jobs, commerce and enterprise for the next 20 years,” he explained, adding that the operator is building a community centre and community gardens for the neighbourhood.
He said Kao Data is trying “to do everything” it can to “be as transparent and open with the community as [it] possibly can be.”
uncertain
it → take → community
In response to concerns about water, Mr Nethersole said the data centre will run on a closed-loop, glycol-based system, minimising water usage concerns.
asserted
centre → say → concerns
In a statement, Vantage Data Centers said: “LHR2 was subject to full planning scrutiny and public consultation through the Old Oak and Park Royal Development Corporation, the independent planning authority for the area, and has been delivered in line with the permissions granted.
asserted
LHR2 → say → permissions
We operate the facility in accordance with applicable planning, environmental and regulatory requirements, including those relating to noise, air quality and back-up power.
asserted
We → operate → noise
Ealing Council added that it was “listening to residents in North Acton” and was working with the Old Oak and Park Royal Development Corporation to address the issues raised.
asserted
it → add → issues
Experts have warned of the “data centre heat island effect”, when air-cooled data centres emit waste heat into the surrounding area, with some reports claiming local temperatures can rise by up to 9C. Such an increase is a stark prospect for Tower Hamlets, which is already recorded by Friends of the Earth as one of London’s warmest neighbourhoods.
asserted
which → warn → neighbourhoods
Plans to put excess heat into distribution networks has been mooted by the industry, but Owen Espley, community campaigns manager at Global Action Plan, explains that London lacks the “joint up system” to facilitate this.
asserted
London → put → this
He adds that air-cooling can drive up electricity use.
asserted
cooling → add → use
In districts like Slough - the world’s second largest data centre hub - standard water-cooling methods can consume up to 35 litres of water per second, the equivalent of the daily demand of 3,500 households, according to Affinity Water.
uncertain
methods → consume → Water
But the tech sector rejects claims that data centres are sucking up vital water and electricity supplies.
uncertain
centres → reject → supplies
…and 9 more, not listed.
The Aporia
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