Almost nine in 10 people in the UK know little or nothing about data centres, according to new research undertaken by SEC Newgate.
The ‘Does Not Compute: What the UK public really thinks about data centres’ report, which 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, found 89% of adults are unfamiliar with data centres and 14% say they have never heard of them at all.
When respondents were provided with information explaining what data centres do, how they operate and why they are needed, positive sentiment rose from 35% to 61%, support for building new data centres increased from 54% to 73% and nearly eight in 10 (79%) backed the government’s decision to classify data centres as Critical National Infrastructure.
Six in 10 survey respondents 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 10 say they would not – even when the national benefits are made explicit.
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 cybersecurity risks (66%).
SEC Newgate’s research suggests those responsible for making planning decisions on data centre developments also display a lack of understanding. 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.
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.
Leyla Hart-Svensson, managing director, insight and intelligence at 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 of the Data Centre Alliance, added: “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.”
