Data centres and public health

There has been a clear rise in discussion and concern about 'data centres' in the UK and across the world. This infrastructure is not new, but the sheer scale of potential development, boosted as much by government policy as demand for computing power, as well as its capacity for evading categorisation, presents a huge challenge for local communities and decision makers. Following an online event in October that discussed how we understand data centres, demonstrated clear environmental concerns, and reviewed nascent research on health, community and local-economy impacts, we’re inviting people to meet in-person to focus on key public-health issues and explore future collaboration. 

Last month, we heard from researchers at Open Data Manchester, the North West Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID) and Lancaster University who said:

• There is no agreed definition of data centres and no Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) code

• There is no single figure for the number of data centres (perhaps between 400 and 800), though more than 200 are in a queue for connection to the grid

• Data centres are concentrated in just four local authorities: Slough, Hampshire, Hillingdon and Tower Hamlets

• Grid capacity, perhaps along with access to land, is the key thing preventing expansion

• Data centres typically only become visible during planning and environmental permitting processes

• There is no national planning guidance for public-health impacts of data centres, and the law has been changed so data centres can get permission without local planning

• The value of data in data centres is not currently captured in government economic data

• Studies on economic impacts are limited and indicate limited benefits for local communities

• Studies on environmental impacts acknowledge harms, from energy demand to water use

• Studies on public-health impacts are limited, with little long-term, place-based and cumulative work, but suggest harms are felt unequally

• Limited data means Health Impact Assessments may be ineffective

• Companies that build data centres are in the business of gathering more data on us, so investments and lobbying are geared towards this goal

The event is in person, to allow small group discussion and planning.