There are a number of sites that are likely to be part of the AI Growth Zone that we have found in the planning system.
There is very little transparency on the extent of the AI Growth zone. The UK Government announcement of the AI Growth Zone named Data Vita as the partner but did not give the extent of the growth zone. We have found a number of sites linked with Data Vita in the area where we believe the AI Growth zone is planned. These sites cover a huge area – over 100 hectares for the two largest sites – mainly in the Green Belt. However there is also another developer with plans for a hyperscale data centre in the Green Belt fields right next to one of Data Vita’s sites, and other hyperscale data centre plans elsewhere in Lanarkshire.
In addition will be the associated energy infrastructure. The UK Government’s announcement said “The energy powering this new Growth Zone will be drawn from on-site renewables” and the Data Vita proposal has plans to roll out ‘private wire’ energy including 800MW Wind, 400 MW+ solar and 1400MWh of Battery Storage.
It is clear that the AI Growth zone will take up a huge area and have a very large impact on the character of the surrounding area. The Sunday Mail, last week, reported about a Freedom of Information response from the UK Government that showed that the actual jobs from the data centre will be a tiny fraction of those publicised by the UK Government. More than 90% of the jobs in the UK Government press release were jobs in the construction of the site, indirect and induced jobs and a Parliamentary Question revealed that inducted jobs could be anywhere, and not necessarily in Lanarkshire, or even Scotland.
This map shows the location of Chapelhall and the rough area of the maps that follow below. Much of the development around the AI Growth zone is in the Green Belt, and the maps below show Green Belt in grey.
Data Vita and HFD Sites (red)
Data Vita is part of HFD Group’s tech division
- Data Vita current site and extension (presumed D1 – DV2 is their Bothwell street site)
- South Lanridge Data Centre and Battery Storage (DV6) – presumed part of the 500MW hyperscale data centre
- Lancaster Avenue Data Centre and Battery Storage (DV4)- presumed part of the 500MW hyperscale data centre
- Extension to Data Vita Data Centre (assumed to be DV3)
- Industrial buildings (unclear what number)
ILI Development Sites (yellow)
We are not sure whether the ILI proposals would be part of the AI Growth zone, they are next to the site that Data Vita has earmarked for the hyperscale data centre. We have mapped them here to show how close they are.
Other Development sites in the area
There is already a huge amount of energy development proposed in the Green Belt south of Chapelhall, between the largest Data Vita AI Growth Zone site at South Lanridge, and Chapelhall. We don’t know if any of this will be related to the AI Growth zone but we do know that Data Vita plan to power their Data Centre with private wire renewables.
Data Vita is planning (although their website speaks of it in the past tense as if it already exists – see above) 2400MWh of Battery Storage (BESS), which will power the 500MW data centre for four hours and fifty minutes, 800MW of wind generation, and 400MW+ of solar.
Energy Parks
The First of the Energy Parks we have found is just east of the largest of the sites for the proposed Data Centre. The developer website says it will include
- Up to 19 Wind Turbines with turbines up to 200m tall
- Battery Energy Storage System (BESS)
- Ground-Mounted Solar Arrays
- Substation and Control Building
- Access Tracks & Crane Pads
Energy infrastructure already in Chapelhall’s green belt in the planning system (in blue)
There is already a lot of energy infrastructure planned for the Green Belt south of Chapelhall which we map below. The private wire BESS, solar and wind power will be in addition to this.
Energy developments
- Newarthill Energy Park, 300MW BESS
- 15MW Solar Photovoltaic Array and BESS
- 30MW BESS30MW BESS
- Substation equipment upgrade
- Upgrade of transmission
Data Centre Proposals in wider Lanarkshire
We believe that the AI Growth Zone is only related to developments by Data Vita, as the partner named in the UK Government announcement. However there are several other developers proposing data centres in Lanarkshire, this include ILI, in the map above.
- ILI Aureilius
- Apatura Ravenscraig
- Apatura Drumshangie
- Apatura Haspielaw
News and Investigations on the AI Growth Zone
We have had a response back from a Freedom of Information Request that we sent to the UK Government regarding the Jobs estimates for the AI Growth Zone in Lanarkshire. Here is an analysis of this and the implications for the AI Growth zone.
Campaigners are calling today for the full extent of the developments that will be part of the AI Growth Zone in Lanarkshire to be made public.
The North Lanarkshire AI Growth zone plan to power their 500MW hyperscale data centre with renewable energy – however the plans they have for energy infrastructure would need an area of 100km2 and, even then, it would only deliver half the energy the hyperscale data centre would require.
A freedom of information request reveals a second site for the AI Growth Zone is planned in South Lanarkshire and that it would impact on a Special Protection Area for birds of prey and Golden Plover.
I realised today that, during the Lanarkshire section of my walk around the Green Belts of Glasgow, I actually walked right across the sites for the planned hyperscale data centres in North and South Lanarkshire. This seemed like such a coincidence I should write a blog-post about it.
The fifth part of our Director Kat’s fundraising walk around the Green Belts of Greater Glasgow. This one from Airdrie to Carfin with plenty of chat about energy infrastructure, and a secret doorway.
Detail about each development
SITE 1. Extension at Data Vita Chapelhall
This 40MW extension to the existing data centre at Chapelhall, which is part of the AI Growth Zone announced for North Lanarkshire. Data Vita already run a co-location data centre from this site which we believe has a power connection of 24MW, they are planning to increase the site to 40MW. The other sites in the growth Zone would add another 500MW
Planning Application Details
Planning Permission in Principle Application
Planning Permission in Principle approved – 9 January 2026
Business Park
Address and Location
datavita York Road Chapelhall North Lanarkshire ML6 8HW
55.834356°, -3.951711°
Local Authority
North Lanarkshire
Developer and Size of the site
data Vita
Capacity 40MW (size defined in environmental management plan)
size of site 1.8ha
A photo of the existing 24MW, 8000 sqm Data Vita Data Centre at Chapelhall
SITE 2. South Lanridge (South of Chapelhall, North Lanarkshire) Data Centre and Battery Storage
This is the largest area that we assume is being lined up for the main data centre in the proposed AI Growth Zone. Due to the size, we assume this is where most or all of the 500 MW data centre capacity will be located. It is on Green Belt land just the other side of the M8 from Chapelhall, the main Data Vita site. It is in the pre-application stage and community meetings will take place in April and May 2026.
Planning Application Details
Pre Application Notice (PAN)
Pre Application notice went in 19 December – there will be public meeting dates in April and May 2026.
The PAN notice says “While yet to be finalised, it is anticipated that the proposals will comprise construction of data centre buildings, together with associated development including flexible commercial / industrial buildings, new road accesses, strategic landscaping and open space enhancements, SUDS and drainage infrastructure, substation(s), and supporting plant, utilities, and infrastructure including ancillary generation and Battery Energy Storage (if greater than 50MW to form a separate application to the ECU for Section 36 consent).”
pre-application stage – no EIA screening requested yet
This site is known as DV6
Green belt
Address and Location
South Lanridge Farm Linrigg Road Newhouse North Lanarkshire ML1 5ND
55.827804, -3.913005
Local Authority
North Lanarkshire
Developer and Size of the site
HFD Renewables NL (DataVita is HFD’s data centre division)
500MW
Developer Website:
The Developers have made a website for the AI Growth zone
Photos of the site
SITE 3. Lancaster Avenue Data Centre and Battery Storage
There is very little information about this site which is in pre-planning. It is in Green Belt and is proposed to be part of the AI Growth Zone.
There is now a Consultation page for this planning application. The dates for consultation events are:
- Event 1 – 12 May 2026 – Mount Pleasant Community Centre between 3:00pm & 6:30pm.
- Event 2 – 2 June 2026 – Location TBC, between 4:00pm & 8:00pm.
- Event 3 – 4 June 2026 – Mount Pleasant Community Centre between 3:00pm & 6:30pm.
Please note – these are run by the developer and comments made at these events do not constitute an objection or formal representation to the council. So ensure that you also engage when the planning application is submitted.
EIA Screening
EIA is Not required
The screening report was received 4th June, validated 4th June and the decision confirmed 19th June – this is nine working days, given the world cup bank holiday. The screening report from the developer was not on the planning portal so the local campaign had to request this from the council and it took two weeks for that to arrive. The screening opinion was not published with the decision and, instead it was published on 20 July.
View the documents here:
26/00707/EIASCR | Proposed Data Centre Development and Associated Landscaping, Access Works and Other Infrastructure
“The outline proposals comprise a c.100-124MW green data centre providing data management services for public sector, business and industry customers. The development is considered to form a Class 6 Storage & Distribution land-use (The Town and Country Planning (Use Classes) Scotland Order 1997 (as amended)).”
DV4 will operate with a Closed Loop cooling system. This system uses roughly the same amount of water as one average family home with water recycled.
An analysis of the report
This analysis was done by Kate Wheway who has looked at the EIA screening with a critical eye
The developer’s screening report
This document is completely inadequate for assessing what the development will comprise. There is no diagram of the layout and the only diagrams show the layout of a previous development planned for the site which comprised a restaurant and other developments.
The Council’s screening opinion – no EIA needed
parallel application on the same site
Strangely it seems that a few days after the EIA screening went in for the site (25 May 2026), the holder of planning permission for a portion of the site which has been granted full planning permission for a petrol station and restaurant submitted an application to alter planning conditions related to the planning permission. It was to remain a petrol station and restaurant but without a drive-through element that was proposed. The application contained a form certifying that the applicant was the owner of the land:
Planning Documents
PAN approved 19th January
Consultation events to take place in February and March 2026
This development is known as DV4
The PAN applications says: “While yet to be finalised, it is anticipated that the proposals will comprise construction of data centre building(s), together with associated development including flexible commercial / industrial buildings, new road accesses, strategic landscaping and open space enhancements, SUDS and drainage infrastructure, substation, and supporting plant, utilities, and infrastructure including ancillary generation and Battery Energy Storage (if greater than 50MW to form a separate application to the ECU for Section 36 consent)”
The site is in designated Green Belt.
FoI said that ‘DV4 will be driven by Scottish Power connections timescales which we expect to be brought forward to 2027.”
SITE 4. Extension to Data Vita Data Centre (DV3)
Section 42 application to vary planning permission 25/00150/FUL (for extension of the existing data centre and associated infrastructure including service yard arrangement and rooftop plant).
Full Planning Permission 25/00150/FUL
Research on generators and capacity of DV3
The current Matters Specified in Conditions is 26/00803/MSC and includes a heat network “supporting feasibility” report – which seems like a primer on heat networks and doesn’t mention how much energy or heat will be available- here
This drawing of “external electrical” is mainly about lighting but does show 12 generator compounds and says it should be read in conjunction with the Wallace whittle MEP documentation and energy strategy and other relevant documentation….
Previous MSC 26/00350/MSC has details of generators – here
The noise reports say that 12 generators will meet the entire power demand of the data centre in an emergency but they also say they use them for load shedding (ie when load demand is higher than power supply) – see here para 8.4. they say this happens when it is warmer at another data vita site 80hours a year for one hall and 46 hours for another data hall (however this is likely to be higher in future if temperatures rise due to climate change) This report looks like it says the generators are each 3MW containers – but the text is not very legible on the drawings – that would imply max is 36 MW
This diagram says the rating of each generator is 2680KW and fuel consumption 664L PRP
The DELEGATED REPORT reports that The data centre is designed to support a capacity of 24MW with dual-purpose onsite generation to top-up to a peak demand of 28.5MW. The peak demand will only occur in very rare occasions during peak IT utilisation and high ambient temperatures
So we assume that the 28.5MW would be when the generators are used for load support. We can’t see an energy report from the applicant that would presumably give those figures.
The report also says – The utility connection is 100% green energy which is REGO backed (Renewable Energy Guarantees of Origin) and the site network is designed to allow inter-connection of renewables.
The full planning application was officially granted on 4 December 2025.
While the location is in the Green Belt, the council determined that the proposal aligns with NPF4 Policy 8 and it is considered a compatible addition to the existing data centre.
Tree Report
Veteran Trees were noted on the site.
According to the landscape plan, grassland enhancement is scheduled to be carried out, and the preservation of old trees is also planned. However, buildings are scheduled to be constructed in areas including G5, which is considered high quality. Furthermore, this development also plans to divert waterways. These are expected to have a significant impact on the broader landscape.
Drone footage of the area including the oaks before they were taken down
Local horticulturalist and historian Maxine Ross has documented the significance of the oaks and the history of the area.
She has also documented before and after they were cut down.
Address and Location
DataVita Data Centre, York Road, Chapelhall, North Lanarkshire, ML6 8HW
55.83441, -3.95254
Local Authority
North Lanarkshire
Developer and Size of the site
DataVita
size of site 1.76ha
SITE 5. Industrial Buildings
This site is part of a major industrial estate and is also being developed by data vita, presumably as part of the AI Growth zone. The proposed development entails the construction of two units of Class 5 (General Industrial) and Class 6 (Storage and Distribution) use. Associated ancillary development includes HGV parking spaces, car parking spaces, cycling spaces, dock levellers, and landscaping.
This application is in the Post-Screening stage EIA Screening opinion.
The determination that an EIA is not required was issued on 2nd February 2026
26/00071/EIAS.1CR
Address and Location
Land At McNeil Drive Eurocentral Holytown North Lanarkshire ML1 4YQ
55.832565, -3.966501（Since the address is vague, the exact coordinates for the site centre have been identified from the planning portal）
Local Authority
North Lanarkshire
Developer and Size of the site
DataVita
size of site 4.3ha
SITE 6. Adjacent Development – 200MW BESS
A large-scale BESS with an output of 200MW is planned for construction on agricultural land at North Lanrigg Farm.
Applicant: Intelligent Land Investments Group (ILI) for consent for construction of a battery energy storage system at North Lanrigg Farm, Edinburgh Road, Newhouse, Motherwell 5SU
Address and Location
North Lanrigg Farm, Edinburgh Road, Newhouse, Motherwell ML1 5SU
55.83091, -3.940854
Local Authority
North Lanarkshire
Developer and Size of the site
North Lanrigg Battery Storage Limited（associated with ILI Group）Capacity 200MW (BESS)
size of site 30ha