UK government met 137 businesses over AI datacentres – but no environmental groups

An investigation has revealed that the UK government's development of AI datacentre expansion plans was conducted without any meetings with environmental groups. According to the nonprofit Spotlight on Corruption, a significant number of ministers, senior civil servants, and special advisers transitioned into AI roles between July 2024 and September 2026, forming a "considerable revolving door" that shaped the government's approach to AI growth zones.

During this period, over 12 months, government departments engaged with 137 businesses multiple times to discuss Britain's datacentre policy, while only two community groups and no environmental organisations were met with by senior officials. The investigation found that out of the 38 senior officials who left government positions, nine were from the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, which played a central role in shaping the AI strategy.

The government's AI growth zones policy aimed to "turbocharge the economy" and create jobs by building large datacentres across five regions, with the hope of attracting thousands of jobs and partnering with US tech companies. However, investigations by the Guardian have questioned the policy's assumptions, financial figures, and job creation projections. It has been suggested that the government has not adequately considered the environmental and social impacts of these developments.

There has been growing opposition to datacentres in Britain, with campaign groups protesting against planned developments in various locations, including rural areas and urban centers like Brick Lane in east London. MP for Newcastle upon Tyne Central and West, Chi Onwurah, emphasized the need for greater community input and involvement in AI growth zones, highlighting the backlash seen in the US over datacentre projects without adequate consultation.

The investigation suggests that the government largely relied on conversations with businesses and failed to take the environmental and social impacts of datacentres seriously. While the government met a few civil society groups, these meetings were conducted shortly before the policy launch and had no meaningful input according to the report.

Additionally, many further meetings between businesses and the Starmer administration may not have been disclosed due to the less stringent transparency requirements for the special adviser role, Jade Leung.

The investigation also compared the UK's approach to other countries, including Canada, Germany, and Australia, which consulted more widely on datacentre introductions and had more stringent environmental criteria. The report concluded that the UK has "fallen behind equivalent jurisdictions" in developing an equitable strategy. The government spokesperson acknowledged the importance of creating British jobs, strengthening supply chains, delivering benefits, and prioritizing clean power and responsible water usage in datacentres.

However, they affirmed that community benefits are considered through local planning processes and that measures have been announced to enable local authorities hosting datacentres in AI growth zones to keep additional business rates.