We are currently doing this campaign off the side of the Director’s desk with the help of three volunteers, and we need more specialist staff time to help us with the next stage of the campaign to help communities and individuals oppose planning applications for data centres locally.
We are trying to urgently raise enough money to employ a professional RTPI Planner to help with this work. Their role would be to do the following:
- to keep a public database up to date of the applications coming in
- to offer bespoke advice to communities working on objecting to data centres near them
- to write example Objections for each development being planned and to submit Objections from APRS and to encourage other NGOs to Object
- to set up a map of sites being planned and a quick method of people being able to object. This will need additional funding to create – the idea would be to have one like the Living Rent map https://www.livingrent.org/stlobjector
- to bring together other NGOs to also object to the centres and coordinate out work in the area of planning campaigning
- to deliver training/webinars for communities and NGOs and to write guidance for objecting to data centers
- to advise on changes to NPF4 and Scottish government policy on data centres
If you are able to help with this we would value your donations, or if you are a funder and want to talk more about helping fund our campaign – please email kat@aprs.scot