Note also the delays to the construction timeframes of buildings affected by the new building safety act regulations. If you want high density city living, that’s a lot less likely to be newly built right now.
> the government’s main punishment for ‘blockers’ is the “presumption in favour of sustainable development” for councils failing to meet 70% of their target. This has little bite in dense inner-city boroughs where it cannot force them to densify. In leafy suburbs with lots of green belt, it matters. In Camden? Not so much.
?
Would it not be possible for a developer to buy some existing homes in Camden and replace them with a mansion block?
Great question! The presumption 'tilts the balance' in favour of development but not by enough to make replacing homes with mansion blocks possible. The benefits (no account of local housing costs taken in calculating these) will be smaller as fewer homes delivered than on a greenfield estate on edge of town and the harms higher (more overshadowing, loss of uniform character, change in scale) . This is compounded by the fact a lot of Camden is covered by conservation zones so you can give even more weight to the harms.
"From a power planning point of view, AI data centers are interruptible loads, they can be paused during peak demand, helping balance the electrical grid."
There are two main types of data centers: AI-focused and non-AI (traditional) ones.
AI Data Centers power things like ChatGPT or image generators. They use special chips like GPUs or TPUs. These are very fast at thinking, but don’t need to reply instantly. Like baking a cake, it takes time, and that’s okay. They’re often built in remote places near wind farms to save energy. If they shut down, they can just restart from where they left off. No battery or generator is needed, like pausing a Netflix download and resuming later.
Non-AI Data Centers handle things like banking apps or online shopping. These need to be fast and always on, users expect instant results. They must be close to internet exchanges.
Example: ChatGPT’s AI center can wait a few seconds. Your banking app? Can’t. It needs a low-latency, always-on setup.
Why do you imply that the councils are to blame for the lack of applications? They don't make the law, and they, mostly, don't build the houses. The land owners and house builders - who may be one and the same in many instances - are responsible for making the applications, and if they are not going quickly enough to meet the government target it's hardly a surprise. What's in it for them? Fewer houses means higher prices. Longer delays just pushes up demand. The land they hang on to goes up in value. Its win, win , win.
Note also the delays to the construction timeframes of buildings affected by the new building safety act regulations. If you want high density city living, that’s a lot less likely to be newly built right now.
Why is this the case:
> the government’s main punishment for ‘blockers’ is the “presumption in favour of sustainable development” for councils failing to meet 70% of their target. This has little bite in dense inner-city boroughs where it cannot force them to densify. In leafy suburbs with lots of green belt, it matters. In Camden? Not so much.
?
Would it not be possible for a developer to buy some existing homes in Camden and replace them with a mansion block?
Great question! The presumption 'tilts the balance' in favour of development but not by enough to make replacing homes with mansion blocks possible. The benefits (no account of local housing costs taken in calculating these) will be smaller as fewer homes delivered than on a greenfield estate on edge of town and the harms higher (more overshadowing, loss of uniform character, change in scale) . This is compounded by the fact a lot of Camden is covered by conservation zones so you can give even more weight to the harms.
AI vs Non-AI Data Centers (Explained)
"From a power planning point of view, AI data centers are interruptible loads, they can be paused during peak demand, helping balance the electrical grid."
There are two main types of data centers: AI-focused and non-AI (traditional) ones.
AI Data Centers power things like ChatGPT or image generators. They use special chips like GPUs or TPUs. These are very fast at thinking, but don’t need to reply instantly. Like baking a cake, it takes time, and that’s okay. They’re often built in remote places near wind farms to save energy. If they shut down, they can just restart from where they left off. No battery or generator is needed, like pausing a Netflix download and resuming later.
Non-AI Data Centers handle things like banking apps or online shopping. These need to be fast and always on, users expect instant results. They must be close to internet exchanges.
Example: ChatGPT’s AI center can wait a few seconds. Your banking app? Can’t. It needs a low-latency, always-on setup.
See more https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dhqoTku-HAA
Why do you imply that the councils are to blame for the lack of applications? They don't make the law, and they, mostly, don't build the houses. The land owners and house builders - who may be one and the same in many instances - are responsible for making the applications, and if they are not going quickly enough to meet the government target it's hardly a surprise. What's in it for them? Fewer houses means higher prices. Longer delays just pushes up demand. The land they hang on to goes up in value. Its win, win , win.
No point in writing a comment, it just deletes……..
Is there any way that I can bet that this won't happen?