AI Zones Shaped By 137 Firm Meetings

Ministers and senior civil servants met with 137 businesses to discuss the UK's AI growth zone strategy, but they held no meetings with environmental organizations, according to a new investigation. The nonprofit Spotlight on Corruption released the findings on Monday, detailing a policy process that favored industry stakeholders over those who would bear the environmental costs.

The report analyzed 40 freedom of information requests sent to 18 government agencies. It covers the period from July 2024 to June 2026. During that time, officials from the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology and other departments engaged in frequent discussions with private firms. In contrast, senior officials met with only two community groups and zero environmental NGOs.

Kamila Kingstone, a campaign lead at Spotlight on Corruption, described the exclusion as a failure of senior leadership. She stated that the government failed to speak to environmental NGOs or community groups when developing the flagship policy. She noted that this occurred despite the serious environmental implications of the plans.

The investigation also traced a revolving door of personnel between government and the private sector. Thirty-eight ministers, senior civil servants, and special advisers took positions in AI companies between July 2024 and September 2026. Nine of these individuals came from the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology. This group included a former minister for AI and intellectual property and a former AI adviser to the prime minister.

AI growth zones were designed to accelerate economic growth by building massive datacenters in five regions. The former prime minister Keir Starmer described the plan as mainlining AI into the veins of the country. The strategy promised to create thousands of jobs and partner with US tech companies. However, previous inquiries have questioned the financial projections and the assumptions regarding power supply.

Opposition to these projects has grown in several locations. Protests have taken place in Auchtertool, a rural village north of Edinburgh, and on Brick Lane in east London. Chi Onwurah, the MP for Newcastle upon Tyne Central and West, argued that the backlash in the US serves as a warning for the UK. She emphasized that communities must be involved in shaping the benefits of these developments.

Spotlight on Corruption found that the UK consulted less widely than Canada, Germany, and Australia. Those countries used more stringent environmental criteria when developing their datacentre policies. The report suggests the UK has fallen behind equivalent jurisdictions in creating an equitable strategy.

The government responded by stating it wants to work closely with industry, local authorities, and environmental groups. A spokesperson said the department prioritizes clean power and responsible water use. They noted that for most proposed developments, community benefits are considered through local planning processes.

The spokesperson added that local authorities hosting datacentres in AI growth zones in England will keep all additional business rates they generate. The report noted that many meetings between businesses and the administration may not have been disclosed. This is because the policy was led by a special adviser whose role had lower transparency requirements.

The investigation highlights a gap between the stated goals of inclusive policy and the actual meetings held. While the government claims to welcome views from various sectors, the record shows a heavy reliance on business consultation. The data indicates that environmental groups were effectively absent from the decision-making process during the development of the AI growth zones.