After Labour’s recent election win, the spotlight now is on its ambitious plans to drive economic growth. Given the increasing reliance on online services and the rising importance of artificial intelligence (AI), the focus on digital infrastructure is both timely and essential. Here our experts share their thoughts on how data centres will support growth within the UK market.
The foundation of modern digital life
Data centres are a foundational building block to the way we operate as individuals, as a society, as an economy, and indeed, as a nation. Data centres are the foundation to everything that runs in the cloud or as an online service – from social media to NHS online services, from shopping online to national rail tickets, from national crime agencies to national infrastructure – data centres are at the heart of it all.
Now add two letters that seemingly appear everywhere – AI. AI is just starting to impact our lives and its future influence on us is predicted to be huge. AI runs on high-performance infrastructure, requiring high-density colocation services deployed in data centres. AI sits there, working hard, drawing power, generating heat and needing cooling – ultimately driving economic growth and innovation.
Why does the UK need to grow its data centre infrastructure?
For any drive towards economic growth, arguably the data centre is at the centre of it all and therefore we need more of them. The fact that this is receiving political focus may make delivering data centres a little easier. This is welcomed and while care and sensitivity to where these are built remains important, the fact that they are required is not disputed.
Labour aims to make it easier to build new data centres by treating them as “nationally significant infrastructure.” This approach could streamline the approval process, allowing for quicker development and deployment of essential digital infrastructure. While this strategy is promising, it also brings potential conflicts, particularly in greenbelt areas where environmental concerns and community opposition is strong.
Balancing development and community concerns
Local opposition to new data centres is often around the environmental impact, including noise, power, and water consumption. The challenge for the new government is to balance the economic benefits of new data centres with the need to protect valuable green spaces and address community concerns. Labour’s plans to build on “lower quality” greenbelt land and update national planning policies reflect an attempt to find this balance.
Power and cooling remain the big considerations for any data centre, but particularly those hosting AI platforms. Data centres with high-density capabilities in suitable London locations are rare. Locations outside of London are stretched in terms of capacity.
The path forward
Now that the new government is in power and the King’s speech – featuring 40 different bills, has been read, it remains to be seen what changes will be made to one of those bills, the Planning and Infrastructure Bill. However, planning, building, national grid supply and network connectivity take time to deliver.
At Redcentric, we understand the vital role data centres play in driving the digital economy. Our facilities are designed to meet the growing demands of high-density colocation, particularly for AI and high-performance computing (HPC) requirements. We have strategically positioned data centres around London to provide the necessary capacity – without encroaching on valuable inner-city space or greenbelt land. This approach helps avoid the delays often associated with new construction projects.
If you are looking for a data centre to support your AI and HPC requirements, please book a tour of one of our UK-data centres, and discover how we’re supporting your future hosting needs today.
