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During a recent visit to a planned data centre location in East London, Polanski expressed strong concerns about the environmental impact of such facilities. He emphasized the urgent need to halt the expansion of data centres that consume vast amounts of water and energy. According to Polanski, only small, community-focused data centres should be permitted moving forward. Highlighting the severity of the ongoing drought affecting three-quarters of the country, he criticized the designation of these centres as critical infrastructure. He stated, “To most people critical infrastructure means hospitals, water, electricity. It doesn’t mean Artificial Intelligence.”
In 2024, data centres were officially classified as critical infrastructure, a status that grants them additional government support during events such as cyber-attacks or extreme weather conditions. The Green Party has raised concerns that this classification could result in data centres receiving water priority over residential users during shortages. However, government officials have clarified that these facilities will not automatically be given priority when water supplies are limited.
Mark Acton, executive director of the Data Centre Alliance, defended data centres by noting that they do not deplete local water supplies and, in fact, use less water than recreational facilities like leisure centres and golf courses. Speaking on the Today programme, Acton described the difficulties involved in obtaining planning permission for data centres, even within designated AI growth zones. He pointed out that these centres are integral to modern life, supporting everything from social media platforms to banking systems, and said, “We depend on these things massively.”
Despite these discussions, the BBC uncovered that ministers have yet to conduct an environmental impact assessment related to the government’s “Delivering AI growth zones” strategy. A government source described this strategy as a statement of intent rather than a concrete policy with immediate implementation plans. Currently, UK data centres are not required to report their water usage. Estimates from the Water Research Centre consultancy suggest that data centres in England consume about 1.9 billion litres of potable water annually, approximately 0.2% of the non-household water market. The consultancy has also observed a noticeable increase in water use in recent years. Environmental charity Global Action Plan reported that large data centres could use as much as 1.5 million litres of water per day.
The Green Party advocates for locating new data centres on brownfield sites close to renewable energy sources to encourage cleaner power use. They also call for mandatory annual disclosures of water and electricity consumption by data centre operators. Meanwhile, the government has pointed out that a significant portion of water—around one-fifth—is lost through leaks in the supply system. A government spokesperson warned that halting the construction of new data centres would risk driving investment and jobs overseas and increase reliance on foreign computing for sensitive sectors like health and defense. The spokesperson stated, “Put simply: it would be a disaster for jobs and national security.” While underscoring this stance, the government emphasized that approval for data centres will not be unconditional, stressing the need for developers to use clean energy, manage water responsibly, foster local employment, and invest in their surrounding communities
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