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The Guardian — Technology · October 24, 2026 · On the brief until November 7, 2026

The datacentre next door: on the frontline of tech’s latest David v Goliath battle

Urban PlanningEnvironmental SciencePublic Policy
THE AI ANGLE
Driving demand for large, energy-intensive datacentres

Tech companies are building hyperscale datacentres near residential areas across the UK to power AI models, triggering local protests over noise and air pollution. Developers plan to use on-site gas turbines and diesel generators because national electrical grid connections face long queues. This trend forces planners and policymakers to address conflicts between central economic goals and municipal environmental protections.

Summary written by AI Business Lens with an AI model from the article at theguardian.com. It is not the article, and the publisher has not reviewed it. For publishers.

THE TEACHING ANGLE
Central governments push datacentre approvals to secure tech investment while local residents bear the pollution and loss of neighborhood infrastructure.

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