Newarthill, a village near Glasgow, was designated as a key site for Britain's AI expansion last year with announcements of substantial economic benefits. Residents learned of plans from companies Oakes Energy Services, CoreWeave, and DataVita that included thousands of jobs, hundreds of millions in community funding, and renewable energy development. However, as the full scope of the project emerged, locals realised the datacentre's energy demands would require sprawling solar installations threatening the surrounding green belt and potentially forcing property sales.

The initial enthusiasm has given way to scepticism and concern. Residents report that the attractive offers made during door-to-door campaigns—free solar panels, tree planting, or cash settlements—came with no binding guarantees. As planning applications reveal the true scale of the undertaking, community members worry they were persuaded not to oppose the development through promises unlikely to be fulfilled. The Guardian's investigation indicates that the publicly announced vision for the site differs substantially from what developers and government actually intend to construct.