UK Datacentre Policy Shaped Without Input From Environmental Groups, Investigation Finds

The UK government developed its policy on AI and datacentres without holding any meetings with environmental groups, according to an investigation by the nonprofit Spotlight on Corruption.

The organisation examined the creation of "AI growth zones," a central part of the economic and AI agenda of former prime minister Keir Starmer. It said a "considerable revolving door" influenced the policy, with 38 ministers, senior civil servants and special advisers taking jobs at AI companies between July 2024 and September 2026.

Over 12 months, the group submitted 40 freedom of information requests to 18 government agencies. The requests sought details of meetings and investment figures tied to the growth zones, covering July 2024 to June 2026. The responses showed that ministers, permanent secretaries and directors general involved in the policy met 137 businesses, some of them several times. In contrast, senior officials met only two community groups and no environmental organisations.

Nine of the 38 officials who left government came from the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, which has been central to Britain's AI strategy. They included a former minister for AI and intellectual property, a former AI adviser to the prime minister, a former director of AI opportunities, a deputy director of AI international policy and a head of AI engineering.

Kamila Kingstone, a campaign lead at the group, said: "The government totally failed at the most senior level to speak to environmental NGOs or community groups when developing its flagship policy on AI datacentres. This is despite the serious environmental implications of its plans."

The growth zones were meant to "turbocharge the economy" and create jobs through large datacentres across five regions. Some would be bigger than any built in the country so far, often in partnership with US tech companies. Guardian investigations have questioned the policy, pointing to assumptions that do not hold up, unaudited financial figures and exaggerated job projections. They also found little realism in plans to power the sites with purpose-built renewables, and indicated that government departments appear to disagree on how much electricity the plans will require.

Opposition to datacentres is growing in Britain, with protests against proposed developments from Auchtertool, a village north of Edinburgh, to Brick Lane in east London. Chi Onwurah, the MP for Newcastle upon Tyne Central and West, said the backlash, and the larger one in the US, should prompt the government to seek more community input. "It is critically important that AI benefits communities and is also shaped by them," she said.

The report said the few meetings held with civil society groups took place a few days before the policy launched, so they had no meaningful influence. It added that many meetings between businesses and Starmer's administration were probably never disclosed, because the policy was led by special adviser Jade Leung, whose role faces far less stringent transparency requirements.

Spotlight on Corruption also compared the UK with Canada, Germany and Australia, which it found consulted far more widely and set tougher environmental criteria. It said the UK had "fallen behind equivalent jurisdictions."

A government spokesperson said datacentres should create British jobs, strengthen supply chains and benefit host communities while prioritising clean power and responsible water use. The spokesperson said the government wants to work closely with industry, local authorities, environmental groups and communities. They added that community benefits are generally handled through local planning processes, and that local authorities hosting growth zones in England will be able to keep all the additional business rates generated.