Hundreds protest Microsoft AI datacentres planned to be built in Leeds

Over 250 people gathered in Leeds city centre today (September 12) to campaign against the planned construction of multiple datacentres in Leeds.

The protest, organised by the No Leeds Datacentre campaign took place at Millennium Square to object to the planning for a trio of three-storey Microsoft datacentres to be built at Skelton Grange, Stourton.

Campaigners argue that the datacentre campus, which is expected to be constructed in early 2027, poses great environmental risks.

Protestor Bronwen Pope-Wilby said: “We think it’s really wrong that they’re even thinking about putting these datacentres anywhere in the UK.

“It’s going to use up so much water, it’s a waste of land, and I just don’t think we need them at the moment.

“With all the environmental stuff going on at the moment and we’ve seen this summer how hot it’s been, I don’t think we need to be diverting water to something that isn’t essential.”

Microsoft have refuted No Leeds Datacentre’s environmental criticisms of the project.

A spokesperson from Microsoft previously told the Yorkshire Evening Post: “We are in contact with the No Leeds Datacentre campaign to discuss their concerns and claims about energy use, carbon emissions and water consumption that do not reflect the facts.

“The proposed datacentre would be air cooled for more than 95% of the time, we match all our energy use with renewable energy in the UK and Microsoft remains committed to our goals of becoming carbon negative, water positive and zero waste by 2030.”

The data campus is planned to provide the physical infrastructure for Microsoft technology, including AI.

Microsoft’s project plans say that datacentres are “integral to our lives” and that “the UK needs more new datacentres to power the economy of the future. “

Richard Burgon, MP for Leeds East, attended today’s protest after tabling a cross-party parliamentary motion calling on the Government to pause the planning of new AI datacentres.

He said: “The reason I'm here today is because I'm deeply alarmed, not just by the proposed hyperscale data AI centre here in Leeds, but the explosion of these massive data AI centres right across the country.

“They're going to have a devastating impact on our ability to tackle climate change. and I have put down a motion in Parliament for a national moratorium on the building of any new hyperscale data AI centres so the Government can evaluate the pros and cons and take a really informed view.”

Microsoft held a planning consultation on the Skelton Grange scheme on June 11 and 12 2025.

However, since then, a petition against the planned three-storey data campus has gained over 43,000 signatures from members of the public.

Lianne Mease, leader of the No Leeds Datacentre campaign, said in a speech: “We are just a fraction of the 43,000 people across Yorkshire who objected to this development.

“While it might seem easy to ignore a a few clicks on a screen, you can't ignore people who has stood in front of you saying, ‘We do not want this.’”

Microsoft’s Skelton Grange data campus has been granted planning permission by Leeds City Council.

Protestors have criticised the approval of the project, and there are now over 1,000 public comments which object to the proposed datacentres.

However, Leeds City Council has stated that its role as the local planning authority is “strictly impartial”, with decisions on planning applications made in line with national planning legislation and policies set by central government, alongside local planning policies.

It has also stated that the public were notified about the planning application through site notices and an advert in the local press.

A spokesperson for Leeds City Council said: “We are aware of a protest event taking place in Millennium Square on Saturday and recognise that data centre schemes are currently the subject of some public interest, both nationally and locally.

“With regard to the Skelton Grange scheme, all relevant matters – including design, scale, landscape integration, highway safety, sustainability and amenity impacts – were given full and proper consideration during the planning process, as was central government’s recent designation of data centres as critical national infrastructure.”

“It's important to recognise that every case is different and must be considered in line with planning law, national planning policies and the adopted development plan for Leeds.”