Burnham won’t pause UK data centres as a report says jobs are overstated

Prime Minister Andy Burnham rejected a moratorium on new UK data centres, saying they can deliver local investment and that the AI Growth Zones policy allows councils to keep business-rate growth. Verdant estimates the planned sites will create about 10,400 permanent jobs by 2035, roughly a quarter of techUK’s 40,200-job forecast, because the industry’s 8.5 jobs per megawatt metric reflects older, smaller facilities. Verdant advises pausing consent for large-scale centres until an assessment framework is in place and making electricity and water availability binding planning conditions.