At least three proposed data centre projects would breach a new 150-metre buffer intended to protect nearby residents, according to reporting that cites community concerns. The outlets describe the buffer as part of a planning policy change that includes a “carve-out,” limiting how strictly the distance rule applies in some circumstances.
The three articles frame the change as “too little, too late,” but they do so by focusing on different implications rather than disputing the core planning outcome. All report that communities that have protested against data centre and AI-related infrastructure argue the carve-out allows developments closer than promised. Together, the coverage highlights that while the buffer exists on paper, at least some specific proposals may still sit within or cross the 150-metre boundary.
Overall, the accounts emphasize the same practical result—potential breaches by multiple projects—while underscoring the dispute over whether the policy meaningfully reduces local exposure. The outlets present residents’ claims alongside the assessment that proposed projects may not fully comply with the intended separation distance.
