FI16863

Request

I am writing to request information held by your council concerning data centre planning applications, non-disclosure agreements and confidentiality arrangements related to such applications. 

Please provide the following: 

1.    Planning applications (last five years):

All planning applications submitted to the council since 1 January 2021 that relate to data centres, cloud computing facilities, hyperscale computing facilities or AI infrastructure. For each application, please provide:

•     Planning reference number

•     Application date

•     Applicant name (individual or corporate)

•     Site address

•     Brief description of proposed use

•     Current status (approved, refused, withdrawn, pending)

•     Decision date (if determined) 

2.    Non-disclosure agreements:

Copies of any non-disclosure agreements (NDAs), confidentiality agreements or similar instruments entered into by the council with applicants, developers or operators in connection with data-centre planning applications or negotiations since 1 January 2021. If full copies cannot be disclosed due to commercial sensitivity, please provide:

•     The number of such agreements

•     The parties to each agreement

•     The date each agreement was signed

•     A summary of the type of information covered (for example, site location, energy consumption, tenant identity)

•     Whether each agreement has expired or remains in force 

3.    Policy and guidance:

Any internal guidance, policy documents or legal advice provided to planning officers or councillors regarding the use of NDAs or confidentiality clauses in data-centre planning matters. 

4.    Correspondence and briefings:

Any correspondence (including emails) or briefing notes between council officers, elected members and data-centre developers or their agents concerning confidentiality, NDAs or the withholding of information from the public domain in relation to data-centre projects since 1 January 2021. (If too large, please provide a schedule or log showing date, parties and subject, rather than full text.)

Response

Under Section 1(1)(a) of the Freedom of Information Act, we have established that this information is not held. This is because Dover District Council has received no applications that relate to data centres, cloud computing facilities, hyperscale computing facilities or AI infrastructure.