Data Storage Centres
View at night
The planing application is for the construction of a data storage centre similar to others on the MoD estate behind the large spoil heap to the NE of Wadswick Green. When we talk about data and data applications being “on the cloud” we really mean in data centres such as these. The buildings contain large halls full of banks of computers; they are heavy users of electrical energy and they require extensive air conditioning to get rid of the waste heat generated by all those computers.
These photographs taken “over the fence” into the existing buildings show buildings of similar style to the proposed new build though of smaller scale. The proposal is for a building that is taller than any of these and longer.
The buildings are full of computers and require relatively few workers to operate and maintain the systems but they require:
High security - so are brightly lit up 24/7
Electrical power - more than the grid can supply. So run generators 24/7.
Air Conditioning - large air conditioning units run 24/7
This creates noise and light pollution. We are largely protected from these existing buildings by the mine spoil heap and mature trees but the new builds along Rowan Lane will not have that protection
