The UK government's decision to designate data centers as Critical National Infrastructure (CNI) can do more than just offer protection against critical incidents; it could also allow developers to override any local objections to building such facilities.
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Last week, the country's technology secretary, Peter Kyle, announced that UK data centers are now classified as CNI, putting them on the same footing as water, electricity and emergency services systems. This means they can expect greater government support to prepare for and recover from critical incidents.
But the Register understands that there may be a side effect of this policy move, which is that classifying these facilities as CNI means they are no longer subject to the same planning restrictions as before, and therefore more of them are likely to gain approval.
This may not go down well in some parts of the country, particularly areas near London where much of the UK's data center infrastructure tends to cluster together and are likely targets for future development.
