UK backs continued data centre growth, with local benefits required

The UK government has no plans to slow data centre construction, with Growth Minister Dan Tomlinson describing the facilities as essential infrastructure. He said rising use of AI across the economy will require more capacity, while projects seeking government support must benefit local communities and create jobs.

The UK’s Compute Roadmap calls for at least 6GW of data centre computing capacity by 2030. The government says it will apply stronger oversight, drawing lessons from rapid development in parts of the US; approvals were eased through AI Growth Zones introduced in 2025. Planned sites have faced local protests, while US ballot results showed majority support for restricting the pace of construction.