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Written question asked by James McMurdock (Independent (affiliation)) on Friday, 10 July 2026, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Tuesday, 14 July 2026. It was answered by Mary Creagh (Labour) on Thursday, 16 July 2026 on behalf of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

Land: Data Centres

Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate she has made of the cumulative loss of agricultural land resulting from data centre developments.

Answer

The expansion of AI infrastructure is critical to the UK's long-term economic growth, resilience, and global competitiveness. Government is working with industry to improve understanding of the demand for agricultural land.

National planning policy gives clear preference for development sited on brownfield, industrial, contaminated, or previously developed land. Where development of agricultural land is necessary, lower-quality land should be preferred to higher-quality land.

The Land Use Framework included a clear, long-term commitment to maintain overall food production in England while increasing resilience to climate change and protecting best and most versatile land.

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
17932
Session
2026-27
Subjects
Agriculture Land Data centres
Contains statistics
Yes
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk