TLDRs;
Contents
- Campaigners have filed a legal challenge against the UK government’s approval of a 90-megawatt Buckinghamshire data center.
- Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner overruled Buckinghamshire Council, which twice rejected the proposal over green belt land concerns.
- Critics warn the facility will strain local power and water resources, fueling environmental and cost concerns.
- The dispute highlights growing global tensions between AI competitiveness and sustainability commitments.
The UK government’s ambition to establish itself as a leading hub for artificial intelligence is colliding head-on with grassroots opposition in Buckinghamshire.
A newly approved 90-megawatt data center has become the focus of a heated legal dispute after Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner overruled local authorities to greenlight the project.
The approval has sparked backlash from campaign groups Foxglove and Global Action Plan, which have launched a legal challenge against the decision. At the heart of the dispute lies a fundamental question: how far should the UK go in sacrificing local environmental protections in pursuit of technological dominance?
Legal action has been launched challenging Angela Rayner’s decision to approve a major data centre on green belt land.
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— Localgov.co.uk (@localgoveditors) August 21, 2025
Council Rejections Overridden by Ministers
Buckinghamshire Council rejected the data center proposal twice, citing concerns about constructing on green belt land, areas legally protected to prevent urban sprawl and preserve nature. Despite this, the central government stepped in last month, granting approval on the grounds of national importance.
Campaigners argue this move undermines the democratic process at the local level.
“If councils’ repeated decisions can be so easily swept aside, it sets a worrying precedent for local accountability,” one campaign representative warned.
The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government has declined to comment on the lawsuit, but officials have consistently defended the project as vital infrastructure for Britain’s AI ambitions.
Environmental and Energy Concerns Mount
Opposition groups highlight the enormous strain such a facility would place on regional power and water supplies. A single 90-megawatt data center, experts note, can consume as much electricity as a medium-sized town, operating at near-maximum capacity around the clock.
This sustained demand, critics say, risks destabilizing local grid capacity and inflating energy costs for nearby residents and businesses.
“We are being asked to compete with a power-guzzling behemoth,” one campaigner argued, “and the community will pay the price.”
Water use is another sticking point. Cooling systems in large data centers often draw millions of liters of water annually, sparking fears of long-term pressure on local resources.
Balancing AI Competitiveness and Sustainability
The clash in Buckinghamshire mirrors a global trend where governments increasingly view data centers not just as infrastructure but as national strategic assets. With AI research and development accelerating worldwide, computing power is becoming as critical to competitiveness as energy and transportation networks.
However, this rapid expansion raises difficult trade-offs. Data centers already consume roughly 1% of global electricity, and their carbon emissions are rising sharply. U.S. facilities, for instance, produced 105 million metric tons of CO₂ in 2023, more than triple the emissions just five years earlier.
In this context, the UK government is attempting to strike a balance between maintaining environmental commitments and ensuring it does not fall behind in the AI race. Yet critics say that prioritizing national ambitions over local protections risks alienating communities and undermining public trust in climate policy.
