Government Admits AI Datacentre Approval Should Be Quashed
The government has been forced into a significant U-turn, admitting that its own planning approval for a major artificial intelligence datacentre in Buckinghamshire should be quashed. This dramatic reversal comes after ministers failed to properly consider the climate impact of the development, in what environmental campaigners have described as an embarrassing climbdown.
Planning Approval Overturned After Legal Challenge
Former deputy prime minister Angela Rayner had originally overruled opposition from local authorities to grant permission for the hyperscale datacentre on greenbelt land adjacent to the M25 in Buckinghamshire. This decision aligned with Labour's commitment to accelerate private investment in artificial intelligence infrastructure. However, her successor, Steve Reed, has now conceded that the reasons for not requiring a comprehensive environmental impact assessment were inadequate and that the planning permission should indeed be quashed.
During a legal challenge this week, the government acknowledged making a serious logical error in its original approval process. The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government confirmed to the court that the secretary of state wished to concede the challenge and accepted that permission should be formally overturned.
Environmental Concerns Take Centre Stage
The proposed development, also known as the West London Technology Park, had been promoted as having the potential to attract approximately £1 billion in foreign direct investment. However, environmental campaigners raised significant concerns about the carbon emissions and substantial water consumption typical of energy-intensive datacentres, arguing that the original approval was unlawful.
Campaigners accused the government of being overly accepting of developer assurances regarding environmental impact while failing to properly scrutinise the project's energy requirements. Rosa Curling, co-executive director of tech equity organisation Foxglove, stated: "It shouldn't take us having to drag the government to court for them to admit their decision to back big tech's polluting datacentres was fundamentally wrong."
Broader Implications for Infrastructure Strategy
This case represents a significant setback for the government's strategy of accelerating datacentre construction to attract investment from major technology companies. In September 2024, the government designated datacentres – which train and operate artificial intelligence systems – as critical national infrastructure, highlighting their perceived importance to the British economy.
Former technology secretary Peter Kyle had previously described datacentres as "the engines of modern life, they power the digital economy and keep our most personal information safe." However, this recent development suggests growing tension between technological advancement and environmental responsibility.
Campaigners Welcome Government U-Turn
Sonja Graham, chief executive of environmental charity Global Action Plan, which participated in the legal challenge, commented: "This embarrassing climbdown could have been avoided had the government done its job and scrutinised big tech's flimsy carbon commitments in the first place." She added that people across the UK are increasingly concerned about datacentre proliferation and its implications for water and power access.
The proposed 72,000 square metre (18-acre) datacentre on a former landfill site in Iver is being developed by Greystoke, which declined to comment on the recent developments. This case highlights the complex balancing act between technological infrastructure development and environmental protection that continues to challenge policymakers across the country.
