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Who gets a say in the government’s plans for AI Growth Zones and data centres? And who doesn’t? Our new report, Zoned Out, finds businesses have privileged access to ministers while the communities affected by these plans are largely shut out. www.spotlightcorruption.org/report/zoned...

Between July 2024 and June 2026: - 84% of ministerial meetings about data centres were with businesses or private-sector trade associations. - Ministers met just TWO community groups. - Ministers and senior civil servants met ZERO environmental NGOs.

Permanent secretaries and directors general held no meetings with community groups. Meanwhile, 38 ministers and senior civil servants were hired by AI companies over the same period. There has been no national public consultation on AI Growth Zones or data centres.

The environmental stakes are significant, too. If data centres treble in number as the government intends, they could consume as much water each day as 60,000 homes. Yet the people and communities affected have had little say in these decisions.