137 firms met UK officials as eco groups sat out AI datacentre plans

Residents in areas targeted for new datacentres will see major construction projects move forward based on policies developed almost entirely in private with corporate representatives. According to a new investigation by the nonprofit Spotlight on Corruption, government officials held 137 meetings with businesses to shape Britain’s AI strategy. During the same period, senior civil servants and ministers met with only two community groups and no environmental organizations.

The disparity in engagement is the central finding of a report released on October 27. The nonprofit spent 12 months filing 40 freedom of information requests to 18 government agencies. These requests covered the period from July 2024 to June 2026. The data shows that while the government spoke frequently to industry leaders, it largely bypassed the groups that would manage the environmental and social impacts of the new infrastructure.

Kamila Kingstone, a campaign lead at Spotlight on Corruption, stated that the government failed at the senior level to speak to environmental NGOs or community groups. She noted that this lack of dialogue occurred despite the serious environmental implications of the plans. The organization described a considerable revolving door in personnel, with 38 ministers, senior civil servants, and special advisers moving into AI companies between July 2024 and September 2026.

Nine of those departing officials came from the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology. This department played a central role in shaping the AI growth zones policy. The departures included a former minister for AI and intellectual property, a former AI adviser to the prime minister, and a deputy director of AI international policy. The movement of staff occurred even as top officials took jobs at major tech firms like OpenAI and Anthropic.

The AI growth zones policy promised to turbocharge the economy by building massive datacentres across five regions. The former prime minister Keir Starmer described the plan as mainlining AI into the veins of the country. The strategy aimed to partner with US tech companies to bring thousands of jobs to the UK. However, previous investigations have questioned the financial figures and job creation projections used to justify the projects.

Opposition to the plans has grown in locations ranging from the rural village of Auchtertool north of Edinburgh to Brick Lane in east London. Chi Onwurah, the MP for Newcastle upon Tyne Central and West, said the backlash serves as a warning. She emphasized that it is critically important that AI benefits communities and is shaped by them. Onwurah pointed to the strong feeling in the US that datacentres are being imposed without adequate consultation.

Spotlight on Corruption noted that many further meetings between businesses and the administration likely went undisclosed. This is largely because the policy was led by a special adviser whose role was subject to less stringent transparency requirements. The report also compared the UK’s approach to Canada, Germany, and Australia, finding that those countries consulted more widely and applied stricter environmental criteria.

A government spokesperson responded by saying the department wants to work closely with industry, local authorities, and environmental groups. The spokesperson stated that for most proposed developments, community benefits are considered through local planning processes. The government has announced measures allowing local authorities in England hosting datacentres to keep all additional business rates generated.