Data centre in Newport that overlooks gardens concerns neighbours
Residents in Newport are expressing concern over the construction of large data centres near their homes, citing noise, visual impact, and potential effects on property values. The UK government classifies these facilities as critical infrastructure due to the rising demand for AI processing power.
Why it matters
This highlights the growing tension between the rapid expansion of digital infrastructure and the quality-of-life concerns of local communities.
Image caption, Amanda says she can see the data centre from whichever window of her home she looks out of
Overlooking the garden of Amanda Young's family home is a data centre.
"It used to be a nice, quiet area," said Amanda, who lives near to one of the large buildings in Newport.
"But with more data centres coming in, we kind of don't know what they're going to bring with them."
Data centres are buildings full of powerful computers used to run digital services, from online banking to movie streaming.
The number of data centres across the UK is on the rise as the growth in artificial intelligence (AI) increases the need for processing power.
The UK government classifies data centres as critical national infrastructure and, according to recent Senedd research, "most jobs in the UK" are now reliant on them.
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