Data centres are now critical national infrastructure. They underpin cloud services, AI deployment, financial services, healthcare systems, public services and the UK’s wider digital economy.
Yet many local authorities are seeing a sharp rise in data centre planning applications sometimes without access to specialist expertise in digital infrastructure, energy systems or environmental regulation.
The Demystifying Data Centres: Planning Hub has been created to respond directly to this challenge.
This dedicated educational platform will host a member-led webinar series designed to build planning capability and confidence across local government. It will provide practical insight, case studies and clear explanations of how data centres function, how they are assessed in the UK planning system and how to approach common constraints around power, water, land use and sustainability.
Why This Hub Matters
Local authorities are central to delivering the UK’s digital ambitions. Planning decisions taken today will shape the resilience, competitiveness and sustainability of the UK’s infrastructure for decades.
This hub aims to:
- Demystify the sector and clarify how data centres operate in practice
- Improve understanding of planning and regulatory frameworks
- Provide practical guidance on assessing deliverability and constraints
- Share best practice in community engagement and local economic integration
- Support consistent, informed decision-making across authorities
This hub will be updated as each webinar takes place, with recordings and planning summaries as well as members case studies and insights added throughout the year.
- If you are a local authority officer and would like to be notified about upcoming sessions, please register your interest.
- If you are a techUK member interested in contributing expertise to future episodes, please contact Luisa Cardani at [email protected] and check the current Call for Contributions page here.
Smart Infrastructure Systems Programme
Data Centres Programme activities
techUK provides a collective voice for UK Data Centre operators working with government to improve the business environment for our members. We keep members up to date with the key technical and regulatory developments that may impact growth and on funding opportunities that may increase commercial competitiveness. Visit the programme page here.
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Meet the team
Luisa C. Cardani
Luisa C. Cardani
Luisa C. Cardani is the Head of the Data Centres Programme at techUK, aiming to provide a collective voice for UK operators and working with government to improve business environment for the data centres sector.
Prior to joining techUK, Luisa worked in the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport as the Head of International Data Protection, where she led on the development of elements of the UK's data protection and privacy policy. In her role, she was also the UK official representative for the EOCD Privacy Guidelines Informal Advisory Group.
She has held a number of position in government, including leading on cross-cutting data provisions in the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement, and in high priority cross-departmental projects when working in the Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy.
She holds an M.Sc. from University College London's Department of Political Sciences.
- Email:
- [email protected]
- Phone:
- 07587 210 799
- Website:
- www.techUK.org
- LinkedIn:
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/luisacardani
Jade van Zuydam
Jade van Zuydam
Jade joined techUK in September 2025, leading our data centres work on energy and water. As Junior Programme Manager, she works with industry and government to shape policy and advance sustainability, resilience and the UK’s net zero goals.
She brings a background in research, journalism and advocacy. Prior to joining techUK, Jade worked at The Economist developing international conferences to debate the most important ideas of our time, before moving into freelance journalism for their daily newsletter, The World in Brief. Her writing explores the intersection of environmental and social justice issues, from climate litigation and energy grids to sustainable agriculture. As programme manager at Digital Leaders, she engaged a network of over 100,000 members on digital transformation and its implications for policy, public services and decarbonisation.
Jade holds an MSc in Environment, Politics and Development from SOAS University of London, and a BA (Hons) in History and International Relations from the University of Exeter.
Lucas Banach
Lucas Banach
Lucas Banach is Programme Assistant at techUK, he works on a range of programmes including Data Centres; Climate, Environment & Sustainability; Market Access and Smart Infrastructure and Systems.
Before that Lucas who joined in 2008, held various roles in our organisation, which included his role as Office Executive, Groups and Concept Viability Administrator, and most recently he worked as Programme Executive for Public Sector. He has a postgraduate degree in International Relations from the Andrzej Frycz-Modrzewski Cracow University.
- Email:
- [email protected]
- Phone:
- 020 7331 2006
- Twitter:
- @techUK
- Website:
- www.techuk.org
- LinkedIn:
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/lucas-banach-50139650
