SEC Newgate’s comprehensive national survey of the UK public and local planning decision‑makers reveals a major knowledge gap around data centres – raising questions about public consent for critical digital infrastructure.

Almost nine in ten people in the UK say they know little or nothing about data centres – even though these facilities underpin services ranging from online banking and the NHS to streaming, social media and artificial intelligence.

New national research by SEC Newgate, a corporate affairs and research consultancy, shows this knowledge gap is widespread, with 89% of adults unfamiliar with data centres and 14% saying they have never heard of them at all, raising questions about how this knowledge gap may risk undermining the growth of the UK’s digital economy.

Understanding of what data centres are used for drops sharply beyond cloud storage and AI, with only around half of respondents recognising that essential, everyday services – including online banking, email, online shopping and healthcare systems – depend on data centres.

The report, ‘Does Not Compute: What the UK public really thinks about data centres’, is based on a nationally representative survey of more than 1,500 members of the public, alongside a separate survey of almost 500 councillors who sit on local authority planning committees – many of whom will be responsible for deciding future data centre developments.

Despite limited understanding, the research shows public attitudes towards data centres are still being formed – and can shift quickly when people are given basic, neutral information. When respondents were provided with factual information explaining what data centres do, how they operate and why they are needed, attitudes shifted markedly. Positive sentiment rose from just over a third to more than six in ten (from 35% to 61%), support for building new data centres increased (from 54% to 73%), and nearly eight in ten (79%) backed the government’s decision to classify data centres as Critical National Infrastructure.

 

Data centres increasingly viewed through the AI lens

The research also reveals that data centres have become closely linked in the public mind to wider concerns about artificial intelligence. Three quarters of respondents believe data centres are expanding because of excessive demand from AI, and those who feel most negative about data centres are also far more likely to be deeply concerned about the growth of AI itself. This suggests that data centres are increasingly being viewed through the lens of wider anxieties about artificial intelligence, rather than solely as physical infrastructure in their own right.

While there is widespread recognition that the UK needs data centres to support economic growth, digital services and data security, this support is often conditional. Six in ten (60%) people say they would accept more data centres being built in their local area because they are essential to the UK’s future growth. However, four in ten (40%) say they would not – even when the national benefits are made explicit.

 

Sustainability and security concerns dominate

Concerns about energy use, water demand, security risks and alignment with the UK’s net zero commitments feature strongly in public attitudes and are particularly pronounced among younger adults and environmentally conscious voters. Two thirds (67%) of the public believe data centres use too much power, while a majority also express concern about pressure on water resources (55%) and cyber-security risks (66%). Younger age groups, despite being among the heaviest users of digital services, report higher levels of concern about environmental impact and sustainability.

Many people also question the value of large facilities that generate relatively few local jobs once operational, highlighting the tension between national digital needs and local community impacts. As a result, support for data centres is often conditional rather than absolute: while their national importance is widely recognised, acceptance at a local level depends on whether wider economic and digital benefits are seen to translate into tangible value for host communities.

 

Knowledge gap extends to planning decision-makers

The research suggests these debates are not confined to the public but extend to those responsible for making planning decisions on data centre developments. Among planning committee councillors, familiarity with data centres as a development type is also low, with only around one in five (22%) saying they are familiar with such applications. Data centres are the least accepted form of non-office employment use on designated land, compared with other types of infrastructure and industry.

However, councillors who say they are more familiar with data centres are significantly more accepting of them, pointing to the role that clear explanation and credible local benefits – such as energy efficiency, design quality and opportunities for waste heat reuse – can play in planning decisions.

 

A critical moment for building public confidence

The findings point to a growing gap between the national importance of data centres and public understanding of how they fit into everyday life, local communities and the energy system. With demand for digital infrastructure rising rapidly and planning decisions becoming more contested, the research suggests that the way in which data centres are explained and debated will play a critical role in shaping public confidence, consent and delivery.

Leyla Hart-Svensson, Managing Director, Insight & Intelligence, 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. 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. What we are seeing is not a public that is opposed to data centres, but a public whose views are still forming, and increasingly shaped by, wider anxieties about technology and artificial intelligence. Data centres are no longer invisible infrastructure, as they sit at the intersection of debates about energy, trust and the future of the digital economy. How those debates are framed now will shape acceptance for years to come.”

Venessa Moffat, Managing Director, Data Centre Alliance, said: “One of the most striking findings of this research is that unfamiliarity with data centres extends beyond local communities to those making planning decisions. What is encouraging, however, is that attitudes become significantly more positive when people are engaged early, given clear information and can see how developments will deliver meaningful local benefits. As demand for digital infrastructure grows, trust, transparency and genuine community engagement will be essential to securing long-term public confidence and planning support.”

 

***END***

Disclaimer:  DATACENTRE.ME may not be held responsible or liable for the content or details within this news article.

For further information, please refer to the full details of this article via the original source here.