The Small English Town Swept Up in the Global AI Arms Race

When AI Infrastructure Meets Rural Resistance

A short drive from London, the town of Potters Bar is fighting to protect its greenbelt — the farms, forests, and meadows that surround the city. But with the UK government racing to meet AI’s voracious demand for data centers, the battle may already be lost.

The Fight for Green Space

In September 2024, a property developer applied for permission to build one of Europe’s largest data centers on 85 acres of farmland near Potters Bar. Local residents quickly organized, forming a Facebook group that attracted over 1,000 members.

In January 2025, the local government granted planning permission. By October, Equinix — a multinational data center operator — acquired the land.

The UK’s AI Infrastructure Push

The UK government has introduced a new gray belt classification for underperforming greenbelt land, making it easier to build on. Combined with the designation of data centers as critical national infrastructure, the changes have cleared the way for a wave of new facilities.

A Growing Movement

Potters Bar is not alone. Across the country, wherever new data centers are being built, developers are encountering organized resistance from impacted communities.

The Bottom Line

As AI continues its relentless expansion, small towns like Potters Bar find themselves on the front lines of a new kind of infrastructure war.