Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask His Majesty's Government what protections apply to (1) landscapes, (2) farmland, and (3) UNESCO biosphere reserves, when a hyperscale AI data centre and battery storage development is proposed to be located within them.

Whichever consenting route is used – NSIP regime or Town and Country Planning regime, data centre proposals must comply with the relevant national planning policy and environmental protections, including those relating to landscape character, agricultural land, protected habitats and designated site.

For proposals considered through the TCPA regime, the National Planning Policy Framework is clear that development proposals should conserve and enhance landscape character, including placing substantial weight on the statutory purposes of Protected Landscapes, and take into account the quality of agricultural land. The National Planning Policy Framework also sets out specific provisions concerning the protection of designated sites, including Sites of Specific Scientific Interest.

The Government is also preparing a new National Policy Statement for data centres. Once designated, this will set out the relevant national policy framework for decision-making on data centre projects that proceed through the NSIP regime.