The Government is demonstrating its commitment to AI with changes to planning policy
In the last few months, it has become clear that the Labour Government has put developing the UK's artificial intelligence offering at the forefront of its agenda.
In September last year, the Government designated data centres as Critical National Infrastructure ('CNI'). This meant that data centres housing digital information ranging from images to financial investment data will be treated with the same importance as energy and water systems. This classification is aimed at reducing the number of outages and prioritising support in the event of cyber-attacks.
Three months after the CNI announcement, the revised National Planning Policy Framework ('NPPF') was published requiring local authorities to specifically include a focus on data centres in Local Plans. In January 2025, the Government presented the AI Opportunities Action Plan to Parliament. One of the goals in the AI Opportunities Action Plan is to establish 'AI Growth Zones' to facilitate AI data centres being built by speeding up planning permission for data centres and grouping together similar development.
The planning decision on 23 January by Hertsmere Borough Council for the giant data centre, DC01UK, is evident support for the government's AI initiative. The DC01UK development is intended to cover 85 acres of ground, be a source of economic growth and cater for the future demands of AI and online services.