Data centres in the UK: property and planning issues

Purpose – The continuing growth of digital technology has been accompanied by an explosion in digital data generation. These data are processed, stored, managed and exchanged in data centres but there is limited general awareness appreciation of the role such centres play as the driving hub of the economy. With this in mind, the purpose of this paper is to provide a simple review of the data centre property market and the changing geography of such centres and to review a number of the environmental and planning issues associated with the development of new data centres. Design/methodology/approach – The paper begins with a description of the characteristics and origins of data centres, outlines the data centre property market and the changing geography of new purpose built data centres within the UK and discusses a range of the environmental and planning issues associated with the development of such centres. Findings – The paper reveals that four different types of data centre can be recognised, that relationship between supply and demand within the data centre property market is a contested issue and that the geography of new data centre development is changing. Data centre developers are increasingly looking for designs that increase energy efficiency and reduce carbon dioxide and the planning issues associated with such developments include classifying the use class, environmental and design considerations and employment generation. Research limitations/implications – The paper provides an accessible review of the development of data centres in the UK and as such it will be of interest to those working in, engaging with, and studying the data centre market. Originality/value – The paper provides an accessible review of the development of data centres in the UK and as such it will be of interest to those working in, engaging with, and studying data centres.