// BBC UK NEWS — CRONACA
I used to live in a quiet area - now a data centre overlooks my garden
Amanda says whichever window of her home she looks out of, she can see it
Overlooking the garden of Amanda Young's family home is a data centre.
"It used to be a nice, quiet area," said Amanda, who lives near to one of the large buildings in Newport.
"But with more data centres coming in, we kind of don't know what they're going to bring with them."
Data centres are buildings full of powerful computers used to run digital services, from online banking to movie streaming.
The number of data centres across the UK is on the rise as the growth in artificial intelligence (AI) increases the need for processing power.
The UK government classifies data centres as critical national infrastructure and, according to recent Senedd research, "most jobs in the UK" are now reliant on them.
But concerns have been raised about the large amounts of resources data centres require - including electricity, grid capacity and water - as well as the impact on the local communities where they are built.
Anthony, who lives near Amanda, says the construction of the data centre nearby "takes away the peace"
Once fully operational, the Vantage Data Center Campus, external in Newport, south Wales, will include three centres over 46 acres.