iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Sam Dumitriu @samdumitriu.bsky.social · 9h

There are quite a few reservoirs planned. And c'mon 'NO WATER'. We are talking about a tiny bit of new demand.

Sam Dumitriu @samdumitriu.bsky.social · 10h

Marginally worse, but the data centres bring other benefits. Jobs, tax revenue, access to digital services, and as I'll argue in a future piece, lower electricity bills for consumers. Better to focus on expanding supply not reducing demand.

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Sam Dumitriu @samdumitriu.bsky.social · 11h

How the push to pause data centres construction in Britain isn based off extremely sloppy research. At one point, a popular anti-data centre paper over-estimates AI water use by 100 times. And that's not the only error. www.samdumitriu.com/p/will-data-...

samdumitriu.com

Will data centres drink us dry?

Worry less about how we store data, and more about how we store water

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Sam Dumitriu @samdumitriu.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

It won’t save much immediately, but over a Parliament it could plausibly save around £3–5bn, depending on inflation and wage growth. However, if we get another big period of high inflation (followed by high wage growth), it could save far more.

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Sam Dumitriu @samdumitriu.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

The big change is that this ends the Triple Lock’s ratchet problem. After an inflation shock, pensions rise with prices. Then wages catch up and pensions rise again. The new system would protect pensioners while making spending much more predictable.

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Sam Dumitriu @samdumitriu.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

Burnham has effectively abolished the Triple Lock. From 2030, pensions would rise by the higher of inflation or 2.5%, with an earnings floor to stop them falling behind average wages.

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Britain Remade @britainremade.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

How did we spend 1/4 of a billion pounds on the Botley Road bridge? For all the issues around Victorian flood defences and the muddle of accountable bodies, we must see the bigger picture of it costing too much to build anything in Britain, @samdumitriu.bsky.social tells BBC Radio 4's PM.

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Sam Dumitriu @samdumitriu.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

IMO, voters deserve better. If you want to launch a national party political campaign, it's worth checking that terms/words mean what you think they mean.

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Sam Dumitriu @samdumitriu.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

Being a NSIP doesn't mean automatic approval, in fact it often means a longer (and more paperwork-intensive process). When it comes to solar, we've seen certain developers shrink their projects to avoid it.

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Sam Dumitriu @samdumitriu.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

And then to confuse matters further, he claims that this means they get special planning advantages. But, the NSIP regime (where big projects are decided at the national level) is entirely separate. And a data centre can only get NSIP status if a Secretary of State directs it.

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Sam Dumitriu @samdumitriu.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

Qualifying for it involves proving that you're critical to the running of essential services and you don't have on-site backup. Many data centres meet the former test (and therefore are worth protecting), but almost all data centres have a diesel backup.

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Sam Dumitriu @samdumitriu.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

And he's also assumed that because data centres are classed as 'critical national infrastructure' that means every single data gets special priority access to data. But that's just not true: only data centres that apply for it get it.

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Sam Dumitriu @samdumitriu.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

He appears to have conflated three different categories, and massively exaggerated what they actually mean. He appears to have assumed that because the Government have given Data Centres a national security designation, that this means they get special planning privilege. They don't.

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Sam Dumitriu @samdumitriu.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

Zack Polanski claims the Government have classified data centres as 'critical infrastructure' and as a result they'll get priority access to water and power over households. Is this true? In short, no. www.samdumitriu.com/p/no-data-ce...

samdumitriu.com

No, data centres will not be given priority access to water in droughts

Zack Polanski needs to get his terminology right

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Sam Dumitriu @samdumitriu.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

This is a big reduction in cost for developers, both in cost of nutrient credits and in delays due to assessments. But it also should be a big benefit for nature. And crucially will fund things individual developers couldn't (e.g. weir removal).

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Sam Dumitriu @samdumitriu.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

What the £30m+ money buys: - 109 ha of fen wetland created or restored - 400 ha of farmland taken permanently out of intensive agriculture - 62 ha of fen management - deer management across 3,700 ha - a weir removed from the Wensum - 1km of chalk stream restored

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Sam Dumitriu @samdumitriu.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

New: The first of the post-Planning and Infrastructure Act 'Environmental Delivery Plans' has been published. It should unblock around 15,000 homes in Norfolk and unlock £30m+ for nature recovery. The challenge is now to roll them out nationwide. consultations.defra.gov.uk/consultation...

consultations.defra.gov.uk

Nutrient Pollution – draft Norfolk Environmental Delivery Plan consultation

Summary We’re inviting your views on a new draft Environmental Delivery Plan (EDP), designed to support nature recovery in Norfolk: Broads Special Area of Co...

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Sam Dumitriu @samdumitriu.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

This will be good. Come along and say hi.

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Sam Dumitriu @samdumitriu.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

Want to understand just how hard it is to build in London? Hackney Councillors just failed to approve Hackney Council’s own application to turn a former one-bed flat back into a one-bed flat. www.samdumitriu.com/p/how-hard-i...

samdumitriu.com

How hard is it to build in Hackney?

Even Hackney Council struggles to get planning permission from Hackney Council

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Sam Dumitriu @samdumitriu.bsky.social · 07/09/2026

New: Healey confirms that not only will he stick with reforms to make it harder to JR energy infrastructure projects, he will also extend the reforms to all forms of infrastructure. My summary of the reforms from May below. www.samdumitriu.com/p/the-real-p...

samdumitriu.com

The real problem with JR

Why further reform is necessary

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Sam Dumitriu @samdumitriu.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

I suspect there is a big crossover between people concerned about plagiarism at Cambridge and Ariely’s extreme fraud. There have been v. big stories about Ariely but we’re dealing with an elite fraudster here who is extremely lawyered up.

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Sam Dumitriu @samdumitriu.bsky.social · 19/08/2026

I think the point of the policy is to get councils that are quite NIMBY to build. The issue is that while they might be unable to block for Green Belt grounds, they can effectively block homes by insisting on very high affordable shares.

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Sam Dumitriu @samdumitriu.bsky.social · 18/08/2026

FYI, my response to the consultation called for infra to be prioritised over affordable units.

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Sam Dumitriu @samdumitriu.bsky.social · 18/08/2026

Isn’t the key issue that the most recent stuff commenting on AI really isn’t up to scratch?

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Sam Dumitriu @samdumitriu.bsky.social · 18/08/2026

NEW: My verdict on Labour's planning rewrite. When I read the draft, I thought the 'train belt' policy could be transformative, but viability challenges (high affordable shares) mean it disappoints. However, there's one really radical policy in there... www.samdumitriu.com/p/the-really...

samdumitriu.com

The really radical policy in Labour's planning rewrite

What's in the new National Planning Policy Framework

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Sam Dumitriu @samdumitriu.bsky.social · 19/07/2026

When Italy hosted the World Cup in 1934, Benito Mussolini awarded the runners-up a special Coppa Del Duce that was so heavy it required four people to lift it. You wouldn’t put something similar past Trump and Infantino if Argentina lose, would you?

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Sam Dumitriu @samdumitriu.bsky.social · 14/07/2026

4. Devolve the Transport and Works Act Order process to Mayors Britain is relatively unique in that regional leaders (i.e. Metro Mayors) have to ask special permission from Whitehall to approve trams and metros. This can delay construction by 3-5 years.

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Sam Dumitriu @samdumitriu.bsky.social · 14/07/2026

3. Deliver Reeves's planned JR reforms. The Govt have made it harder for no-hope legal challenges to delay projects, but there's a need to go further. Reeves proposed a new Parliamentary Approval process for critical infra that would make JR attempts (on non-human rights grounds) impossible.

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Sam Dumitriu @samdumitriu.bsky.social · 14/07/2026

2. Implement the Fingleton Review. The Govt has promised radical reforms to the way nuclear power is regulated via a new Nuclear Bill. From updating safety rules to making the Habitats Regs more proportionate, this could unlock massive investment in places like Hartlepool and Anglesey.

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Sam Dumitriu @samdumitriu.bsky.social · 14/07/2026

1. Update the NPPF. There's a draft NPPF out for consultation. It contains powerful measures to make it easier to build near stations and to build granny flats. Burnham should publish a consultation response approving the changes in his first week.

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Sam Dumitriu @samdumitriu.bsky.social · 14/07/2026

Starmer and Reeves's planning reform agenda is working, but unfinished. My latest describes four reforms (in the works) that Andy Burnham should keep when he takes power next week. www.samdumitriu.com/p/what-burnh...

samdumitriu.com

What Burnham should keep

Four pro-growth reforms that should outlive Starmer and Reeves

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Iain Roberts @slowbikeiain.bsky.social · 01/07/2026

Have you ever wondered why, compared to our friends on the continent, our infrastructure in the UK is…well…pretty rubbish? Why we can't build rail, Leeds doesn't have a tram and the nation's roads are covered in potholes? A 🧵

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Sam Dumitriu @samdumitriu.bsky.social · 30/06/2026

Andy Burnham video when England go out in the QFs to a wondergoal from Vini Jr: "Vini really? Little one for fans of the Durutti Column there. Signed to Factory records of course. Tough night, still the boys have done us proud. I'm in Manchester to announce our new Maxine Peake drama fund."

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Reposted by Sam Dumitriu

Britain Remade @britainremade.bsky.social · 18/06/2026

In infrastructure, Britain spends more and gets less. Look at what we could build without raising a penny of tax just by getting our costs down to European levels.

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Sam Dumitriu @samdumitriu.bsky.social · 18/06/2026

This paper was a collaboration between @britainremade.bsky.social and @britishprogress.org. For the first time, their Chief Economist Pedro Serodio was able to control for many of the factors that might excuse Britain's relatively high costs. Turns out, there's still a 65% premium (7/N)

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Sam Dumitriu @samdumitriu.bsky.social · 18/06/2026

When you adjust for Britain’s 65% cost premium over peer countries, Britain’s £308 per head becomes just £186. Britain goes from investing more than £37 more than France and £57 than Germany, to investing £85 and £65 less respectively. (6/N)

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Sam Dumitriu @samdumitriu.bsky.social · 18/06/2026

Oh, some might ask. Is the cost premium just HS2? In short, no. (5/N)

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Sam Dumitriu @samdumitriu.bsky.social · 18/06/2026

Some argue Britain needs to invest more in transport, but the reality is that we're up there already. The problem is our money buys much less than other countries. (4/N)

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Sam Dumitriu @samdumitriu.bsky.social · 18/06/2026

This map has some examples of what we could fund with £41.5bn. (3/N)

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Sam Dumitriu @samdumitriu.bsky.social · 18/06/2026

If that premium was eliminated, our £21bn of annual transport investment (2015–2023 average) would secure 65% more infrastructure per pound. Over a Parliament, Britain would in effect have £41.5bn more actual infrastructure for the amount it already spends. (2/N)

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Borners @borners.bsky.social · 10/06/2026

Good measured post by @samdumitriu.bsky.social, what I would say is there is a higher synthesis, as UK hyper centralisation + high costs lead to this kind of instability within projects. www.samdumitriu.com/p/is-feast-a...

samdumitriu.com

Is feast-and-famine funding the cause of Britain's high infrastructure costs?

A response to Alon Levy

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Sam Dumitriu @samdumitriu.bsky.social · 08/06/2026

Of course, the problem here is that they've not accepted (or appear not to have) that the mitigation is sufficent despite loads of cash being spent on it. And this is all a bit last minute. It's a case for more democratic control IMO, because parliament has the legitimacy to navigate these trades.

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Sam Dumitriu @samdumitriu.bsky.social · 08/06/2026

They have a very narrow legal remit. The carbon benefits (or the growth benefits) aren't really considered. Benefits at best can be used to justify allowing developers to spend money on compensation when mitigations are insufficient. (But that's not guaranteed for certain protected species.)

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Britain Remade @britainremade.bsky.social · 08/06/2026

Hinkley Point C might be delayed again. Why? Because Natural England say the £700 million spent on fish protection at Britain's next nuclear power station is not enough. We can't go on like this. youtu.be/NeuUdwD0_-g

youtu.be

Why Britain's New Nuclear Power Station Might Be Delayed... AGAIN

YouTube video by Britain Remade

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Sam Dumitriu @samdumitriu.bsky.social · 29/05/2026

Recent reforms designed to stop legal challenges delaying infrastructure are working. So why is the Labour Government going even further? My latest explains the thinking (and why further action is necessary). www.samdumitriu.com/p/the-real-p...

samdumitriu.com

The real problem with JR

Why further reform is necessary

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Sam Dumitriu @samdumitriu.bsky.social · 21/05/2026

The Taskforce includes a co-author (David Milner) of Britain Remade/Create Streets's paper which revealed the large cost gap. And they're pressing on with a consultation on that report's big recommendation: devolving the Transport and Works Act Order process www.britainremade.co.uk/backontrack

britainremade.co.uk

How to Build New Trams in the UK and Get Britain Moving

Cities across Europe are building trams at a rate not seen in nearly a century. Places that had torn up their tram tracks in the 1950s have realised they had made a mistake. Twenty-one French cities h...

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Sam Dumitriu @samdumitriu.bsky.social · 21/05/2026

This is exciting. British tram projects take longer and cost twice as much as they do in Europe. So the Government have announced a 'mass transit taskforce' (Fingleton for Trams) to identify the reasons why British projects cost more. www.gov.uk/government/n...

gov.uk

New mass transit taskforce to reshape the future of transport in towns and cities

The new taskforce will make recommendations to improve transit systems so they can be delivered more efficiently across the UK.

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Sam Dumitriu @samdumitriu.bsky.social · 21/05/2026

Sends a bad signal and I suspect many will leave in anticipation.

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