Lincolnshire council approves AI datacentre despite emissions warnings
Plans for a new datacentre in Lincolnshire have been approved, despite warnings it could be a major new source of emissions,On Wednesday, North Lincolnshire council voted unanimously to approve planning permission for the Elsham Tech Park, a proposed AI datacentre campus near Scunthorpe, next to the Elsham Wolds industrial estate,According to the tech justice nonprofit Foxglove, the projected emissions produced will approach those generated by every domestic flight taken in the UK,Council documents estimate the proposed datacentre’s “peak annual scope 2 emissions”, or indirect greenhouse gases from generating electricity, will reach about 1m tonnes of CO2 equivalent in 2033-34,All of the UK’s domestic flights total 1.
2m tonnes of CO2 equivalent,The council concluded that, despite the “large absolute energy demand” of the development, the impact of emissions was not significant due to the datacentre’s proximity to clean energy sources in the Humber region,According to Elsham Tech Park, construction is expected to begin in 2027, with a view to opening some parts of the campus in 2029,It plans to create up to 15 datacentre buildings across the site, generating up to 1GW of computing capacity, making it one of the largest datacentres proposed in the UK,Concerns remain about the feasibility of this level of power generation.
A separate AI project by the tech firm Nscale was meant to build a datacentre that could provide 50MW of AI capacity – with a view to upgrading to 90MW.However, a Guardian investigation has found that, nine months before it is due to be completed, it remains a scaffolding yard in Essex.Elsham Tech Park claims the centre will create up to 900 long-term jobs and could attract up to £10bn of private investment, as well as giving priority to local businesses for supply chain opportunities.“The numbers attached to this project are eye-watering – almost hard to get your head around,” said Rob Waltham, the leader of North Lincolnshire council, adding the centre was a “once-in-a-generation investment opportunity”.He said: “This will bring thousands of construction jobs, hundreds of highly skilled, high-paid long-term roles, and the chance to build a new industry right here in Lincolnshire.
”On its environmental impact, Elsham Tech Park said the plan for the campus involves improving biodiversity, including new planting, bat and bird boxes and wildflower grassland.It added the centre will have a “highly water-efficient design” using closed-loop systems, which will use minimal water to cool its servers.Tim Squirrell, the head of strategy at Foxglove, said: “It is incredibly disappointing to see big tech’s dubious claims of economic growth spurred by AI datacentres be put ahead of the ongoing climate crisis.”Squirrell added North Lincolnshire council “ignored their own policy, which states 20% of energy must be generated through on-site renewables” and “credulously accepted the developer’s incorrect figures, which underestimated the impact of this datacentre on the UK’s carbon budget by a factor of five”.A spokesperson for the developer behind the datacentre, Greystoke, said: “Elsham Tech Park in north Lincolnshire – next to the country’s most advanced clean energy cluster – will see £10bn of private investment, generating thousands of well-paid operational and construction jobs in the region, and supporting local supply chains.
”Another proposed datacentre in north Lincolnshire, Humber Tech Park, was also backed by Greystoke,It was granted planning permission in August 2024, but construction has yet to begin,
Miliband reveals plans that could mean nuclear power plants built near homes
Ed Miliband has unveiled plans that could make it easier to build nuclear power plants closer to homes and on sensitive nature sites, as he attempts to speed up the development of energy infrastructure.The energy secretary set out changes to nuclear regulation, to be carried out this year, which would mean a “win-win for building critical infrastructure while protecting nature and the environment”.However, ministers were quickly accused of “irresponsible deregulation” and putting nature at risk.The shake-up means the government will implement the recommendations of a review completed last year by the nuclear regulatory taskforce review, which was led by the former Office of Fair Trading boss John Fingleton.It said an overhaul of the “overly complex” and “bureaucratic” system which “favoured process over safe outcomes” was needed
Bailiffs board Ryanair plane after airline refuses to pay delayed flight compensation
Bailiffs have boarded a Ryanair aircraft after the airline refused to pay compensation to a passenger whose flight was delayed.Austrian officials took action after the budget carrier ignored a court order to pay the unnamed woman €890 (£742) in legal costs and compensation for a delayed flight two years ago.A bailiff entered the plane, which was bound for London, as it sat on the stand at Linz airport on Monday and fixed a seizure sticker to the cabin when crew were unable to settle the debt.The label, known as a “cuckoo sticker”, gives the court legal control over the aircraft, which was allowed to continue to operate under set conditions. The court can sell the Boeing 737 at public auction if the debt is not paid by a deadline
AI toys for young children must be more tightly regulated, say researchers
It was all going well. Charlotte, five, was chatting with an AI soft toy called Gabbo at a London play centre about her family, her drawing of a heart to represent them and what makes her happy. She even offered a couple of kisses to the £80 toy with a face like a computer screen.It was when she declared: “Gabbo, I love you”, that the fluent conversation came to an abrupt halt.“As a friendly reminder, please ensure interactions adhere to the guidelines provided,” said Gabbo, awkwardly crashing into its guardrails
‘IG is a drug’: jury to deliberate as US trial over social media addiction wraps up
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Cheltenham festival 2026: Gaelic Warrior storms to Gold Cup glory – as it happened
Time to sign off from Cheltenham for another year. I’ll leave you with Greg Wood’s report from trackside. Thanks for joining me, and enjoy your weekends.Just look at all the sport you can follow on the Guardian website this weekend. Look!So after a week of drama, controversy and strong words off the course, today felt a little more like business as usual – particularly with Mullins claiming three winners, including the Gold Cup, 24 hours after firing thinly-veiled threats at the racecourse
Gaelic Warrior routs Gold Cup field and carries Mullins into record books
A capacity crowd had squeezed into the grandstands on Friday hoping to see a football legend lift the festival’s biggest prize, but the greatest trainer in National Hunt history had other ideas. The Gold Cup was one of the last races at the meeting to elude Willie Mullins until his first win in 2019. Now he has five, joining Tom Dreaper, Arkle’s trainer, as the co-holder of the all-time record, after Gaelic Warrior’s relentless charge up the hill to an eight-length success.Paul Townend, meanwhile, is now out on his own as the only rider to win five Gold Cups, one more than Pat Taaffe, who steered Arkle to all three of his victories in the 1960s.Gaelic Warrior is a different brand of steeplechaser to Al Boum Photo and Galopin Des Champs, who both recorded a pair of victories for Mullins and Townend
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