The new Government has wasted no time in setting out its stall for delivering both housing and economic growth as reflected in the revisions to the NPPF that were published at the end of July and also in Angela Raynor’s Written Ministerial Statement which confirms “with respect to commercial development, the Government is determined to do more to support those sectors which will be the engine room of the UK’s economy in the years ahead.”
Not previously referred to in national planning policy, data centres form a critical part of our infrastructure and are essential for supporting economies across the globe as growth in data-based industries, cloud computing and AI explodes. On an individual level, for most of us, our daily tasks and activities will be making use of existing data centres multiple times a day.
As such, it is tremendously important that data centres are actively planned for, and their provision supported in plan making and decision taking. Not least because in some cases they have very specific locational requirements, needing suitable grid connectivity and capacity as well as water supply for cooling. Therefore, it is positive and most welcome that the above need will now be specifically addressed in national planning policy.
The consultation document that accompanies the draft NPPF explains that it is essential that the planning system is reformed to build the infrastructure needed to power our economy and support the Government’s industrial strategy. It explains that it is vital that planning policies reflect infrastructure priorities, including supporting rapidly advancing commercial opportunities which will be the foundation of the UK’s future: data centres, gigafactories and laboratories.
