Over the years, people have had cause to protest about different things at different times…. I can recall a lot of battling over new road schemes (we even have one at present about road widening).

Housing schemes attract protests. I can recall protests about the construction of the Energy From Waste Facility at Marchwood. Perhaps the biggest local protest arose from ABP’s plans to develop Dibden Bay for port use.

The most recent thing that a lot of people seem to have concerns about are data centres. There is one pencilled in for the Fawley Waterside development. My Lib Dem colleague, Councillor Mark Clark, provides a useful update on his page.

Data centres have become an essential part of modern life, providing the computer systems that store and process vast amounts of information. They support everything from online banking, shopping and social media to government services, artificial intelligence and cloud computing. Their biggest benefit is that they provide reliable, secure and fast access to data and digital services. They can also bring significant investment to local areas, create skilled jobs and generate business for construction, engineering and technology companies. Modern data centres can contribute to energy efficiency by using advanced cooling systems and increasingly sourcing electricity from renewable energy.

However, data centres also have considerable disadvantages. They consume enormous amounts of electricity, potentially placing additional pressure on the national electricity grid. Their demand for water for cooling can also be a concern, particularly in areas where supplies are already under pressure. Large facilities require substantial buildings and land, which can affect landscapes, wildlife and local communities. Construction can cause traffic, noise and disruption, while permanent sites may have relatively few jobs compared with the size of the investment.

There are also concerns about carbon emissions if the electricity used comes from fossil fuels. Consequently, while data centres are vital to the digital economy, their development needs careful planning. Locating them appropriately, improving energy efficiency and ensuring sufficient renewable energy and water supplies will be crucial to balancing their benefits against their environmental and social costs.

It is something I am still researching and am open minded about. I am very aware of the fact that many of us benefit from the technology. Data Centres appear to have low localised impact but there big questions about the overall impact, especially the environmental impact and for some, the need.