London's growing demand for artificial intelligence, cloud computing and online services is fuelling a rapid expansion of data centres across the capital.
These facilities provide the computing power behind many everyday digital services, from online banking and medical records to social media, cloud storage and video streaming.
The industry is also becoming increasingly important as demand for AI services grows. However, the expansion is creating debate over how much electricity and water large data centres require, as well as concerns about noise from cooling systems and backup generators.
One of the latest proposals is at Charlton Riverside in south-east London, close to the Thames Barrier.
The proposed Charlton Gateway development would cover about 100,000 square metres, roughly equivalent to 14 football pitches. The wider scheme includes the data centre, power infrastructure, offices and space intended for small and medium-sized businesses.
The developers say the project could bring investment, highly skilled employment and additional business-rate income to the area. Their plans include around 182MVA of power capacity and approximately 165 highly skilled jobs.
But Greenwich Council has already made clear that it opposes the proposed data centre.
The council's concerns are linked partly to its wider plans for Charlton Riverside, an area identified for major regeneration and thousands of new homes. The authority has said the data-centre proposal conflicts with its vision for the area.
Local residents have also raised concerns about the scale of the development, its potential impact on nearby homes and the noise that could come from generators and other equipment operating around the clock.
The proposal is also controversial because of the site's industrial heritage. Planning documents indicate that parts of the existing site would be redeveloped, while some heritage features would be retained or incorporated into the new scheme.
The debate reflects a wider challenge for London: how to provide the infrastructure needed for AI and digital services while managing pressure on electricity networks, water resources, housing and local communities.
City Hall has been working with boroughs, energy companies and the data-centre industry on how London can accommodate future growth while taking account of available and projected electricity network capacity.
For Charlton, the next major stage will be the submission of a full planning application. Until then, the project remains a proposal and Greenwich Council's opposition does not itself determine whether the development can eventually be built.