Legal action has been launched challenging Angela Rayner’s decision to approve a major data centre on green belt land.
Buckinghamshire council refused planning permission for the facility in Iver on a former landfill site, arguing it ‘would constitute inappropriate development in the green belt’.
The deputy prime minister overruled the council as part of the Government's push to boost the UK’s computing capacity to keep up with the rapid development of AI.
Green tech campaign group Foxglove and environmental charity Global Action Plan said there had been ‘a lack of meaningful scrutiny’ of the 90MW data centre’s environmental impact.
Global Action Plan head of campaigns Oliver Hayes said: ‘Big Tech’s “nothing to see here” approach to the threats AI data centres pose for precious local resources and the planet is going unchecked by Angela Rayner.’
‘The Government must reconsider its rash decision or risk an embarrassing reality check in court,’ he added.
The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government declined to comment on the threat of legal action.
If you are interested in exploring how councils are using AI check out: 10 Ways Councils Are Using AI to Transform Public Services.
