The London Assembly has urged the Mayor to set clearer rules for data-centre planning applications, warning that boroughs are struggling to manage the capital’s rapid data-centre boom.
The Planning and Regeneration Committee has called on City Hall to help councils deal with increasingly complex applications for the energy-hungry facilities.
Questions remain at borough level over where data centres should be located and how to balance economic benefits with pressures on infrastructure and local communities.
The Committee has previously raised concerns about the impact of data centres on London’s electricity network.
“Data centres are increasingly important to London’s economy, but they also place growing demands on London’s energy infrastructure,” said James Small-Edwards AM, Chair of the Planning and Regeneration Committee.
“Many boroughs have limited experience of handling these complex applications. Clear guidance from City Hall will help ensure developments are located in the right places and don’t delay the delivery of much-needed housing in London.”
The recommendations form part of the Committee’s statutory scrutiny and consultation response to the Mayor’s draft London Plan, which will guide how the capital grows and develops over the next 25 years.
The submission draws on evidence from two public engagement events held over the summer, involving young people, adults living in London and stakeholders from housing, transport, business and environment sectors.
London Streets has been covering the Tower of London skyscrapers and the Fitzrovia hotel this week.
