Close to 90% of UK people (89%) say they know little or nothing about data centres, while 14% say they’ve never heard of them.

This is according to a survey of 1,507 people, and a separate survey of some 480 councillors who sit on local authority planning committees – the very people responsible for deciding on data centre developments.

Despite knowing little about data centres, however, respondents expressed quite negative views of them.

Some 60% said they would accept more data centres in their areas on the grounds that they’re essential for growth. But 40% said they would not.

Two-thirds of respondents (67%) believe data centres use too much power, while a majority also express concern about how much water they use (55%) and cybersecurity risks (66%).

Many also question the value of data centres when they generate few local jobs.

The surveys were conducted by corporate affairs and research consultancy SEC Newgate, which advocates for data centre developers.

It said the results suggest public sentiment risks undermining the growth of the UK’s digital economy.

Negative views of AI

In its report on the surveys, SEC Newgate said people’s negative views of data centres are linked to their negative views of AI.

Three-quarters (76%) of respondents said data centres were proliferating because of “excessive demand” from AI.

The company said that after respondents read a fact sheet it created – which it called “stimulus” and “knowledge building information” – perceptions of data centres improved.

The fact sheet gave basic information about what data centres do and what they need to operate. It also highlighted their necessity for things we take for granted, like email, online banking, searching for information, social media, media streaming and cloud storage.

This primarily moved those who were neutral or positive before they saw the company’s fact sheet, however. “Those who already hold negative views are much more resistant to change,” SEC Newgate said.

It added: “SEC Newgate’s experience in public perception research surrounding infrastructure tells us that this is likely what we would call our ‘Detractor’ group, whose opposition is so entrenched that knowledge-building has little impact.”

What if they’re right?

However, evidence shows that data centres are proliferating precisely because of AI demand.

Oxford Economics found that, for most of the 2000s so far, total UK computing power stood below or near 1GW, but that has risen sharply since ChatGPT launched in late 2022.

The figure jumped to 2.9GW in 2024, 3.8GW in 2025, and is expected to hit 8GW by 2030, according to the firm.

Meanwhile, the UK government itself promotes data centre construction to meet AI demand. It designated data centres as critical national infrastructure in 2024, and has named five AI Growth Zones to accelerate their construction.

It has committed £2bn to expand UK compute capacity twentyfold by 2030.

Planning decision-makers

Councillors surveyed have low familiarity with data centres as a development type, with only around one in five (22%) saying they are familiar with such planning applications.

According to the survey, councillors see data centres as the least acceptable form of “non-office employment use” among 11 categories.

Public services like schools and hospitals got the highest acceptability score at 85%. Leisure and tourism scored 81%. The categories of rural employment, creative and production, and general industrial shared a 67% score. Infrastructure and utilities scored 62%, while logistics and distribution scored 58%.

Councillors who say they’re more familiar with data centres are more accepting of them, SEC Newgate said.

“Data centres are now critical national infrastructure, yet this research shows we haven’t built a shared public understanding of what they are, why they matter or how they fit into everyday life,” said Leyla Hart-Svensson, SEC Newgate’s managing director of insight and intelligence.

“That gap is significant at a moment when the UK is making major decisions about digital growth, because confidence and consent are not automatic – they have to be earned.”