tech
March 12, 2026
Lincolnshire council approves AI datacentre despite emissions warnings
Campaigners say campus near Scunthorpe could generate emissions close to those from all UK domestic flights
TL;DR
- North Lincolnshire council approved planning permission for the Elsham Tech Park, an AI datacentre campus near Scunthorpe.
- Concerns were raised that the datacentre could become a major source of emissions, with projected peak annual scope 2 emissions estimated at 1m tonnes of CO2 equivalent.
- This emission level is comparable to the total emissions from all domestic flights in the UK.
- The council justified approval by citing the datacentre's proximity to clean energy sources in the Humber region.
- Construction is slated to begin in 2027, with parts of the campus expected to open in 2029, potentially creating up to 900 long-term jobs and attracting £10bn in private investment.
- Critics, including the nonprofit Foxglove, stated that the developer underestimated the datacentre's impact on the UK's carbon budget and that local renewable energy policies were not followed.
- The developer, Greystoke, claims the project will bring significant economic benefits and has a water-efficient design with plans for biodiversity improvements.
- Another Greystoke-backed datacentre, Humber Tech Park, also received planning permission but has not yet begun construction.
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