Community Campaigns write to First Minister to demand immediate moratorium

Today fourteen local communities campaigning against proposals for data centres have announced that they will be rallying outside parliament to call for an immediate moratorium on hypercsale AI data centres. As MSPs return to Parliament next week, the campaigners will be gathering and they are inviting the many supporters they have across the country to join them. 

Campaigners are inviting their MSPs out to meet with them and they have also written a joint letter, along with APRS, to the First Minister with an invitation to also meet with them.

Read the Letter

The letter lays out the concerns that communities have about hyperscale ai data centres being proposed in their localities and asks that he put in place an immediate moratorium on all hyperscale data centres while the Scottish government deal with the issues which they lay out in their letter. 

These include:

• All Hyperscale data centers should be required to do Environmental Impact Assessments (including the impacts of covering power and water use) and submit Full Planning applications rather than Planning Permission in Principle.
• There should be an independent assessment of the need for hyperscale AI data centres in Scotland and the impacts on communities, land, water, the power grid and climate commitments should be undertaken. This should inform guidance provided to local authorities.  
• There should be a full investigation of risk, health and safety of hyperscale AI datacentres, to incorporate effects of backup generators, diesel storage, fire risk, implications of black-outs, prioritising of hyperscale data centres over other users’ electricity supplies, heat island effect, health implications of pollution and noise and animal welfare implications.

Campaigners highlight in their letter the public support they have listing 8 local petitions with a total of over 52,000 signatures between them. And APRS has enclosed their public petition which has over 8000 signatures with the letter and note the petition they lodged with the Public Petitions Committee which now has over 20,000 signatures.

The campaigners say that they welcome the announcement  from the Minister for Public Finance, Hannah Mary Goodlad MSP, that two of the proposed data centres: Auchtertool in Fife, and Wester Hermiston in West Edinburgh, will now need to have EIAs, but they want to see the Scottish Government do more to rule that all should require EIAs and to put in place an immediate moratorium. Following these announcements APRS wrote to the Minister to ask for all data centres to be required to do EIAs, for the Government to ask local authorities to report hyperscale data centres in pre-planning and at EIA screening stage as well, and to put in a planning moratorium to allow them to prepare planning guidance.

Data Centre Map update

Last week APRS updated their data centre map to take out the Argyll and Irvine data centres that have been reported as likely not happening and to update the status of the others in the list, including on EIA requirements. There are now 20 in planning portals (planning and pre planning) that add up to 7000MW of power demand. And 3 others that APRS are aware of that are yet to reach the planning system. 

The local campaigns who have written the letter and are gathering at Holyrood on 3rd September are

• Larbert,
• Hurlford near Kilmarnock
• Auchtertool, Fife
• Chapelhall
• Ravenscraig
• Annan and Dumfries
• Aberdeen (Blackdog)
• Bishopbriggs and Lenzie
• Hunterston, West Kilbride
• Edinburgh (Gyle)
• West Edinburgh (Hermiston/Currie)
• Lammermuirs (Longformacus)
• Dunbar
• Cockenzie

Victoria Plutshack from the Edinburgh campaign said:

“The strength of feeling in the Edinburgh community can’t be oversold. These data centres are threatening our neighbourhoods, our green spaces and our environment. People are looking to the US experience and seeing concerns about energy bills, water quality and house prices. This is why we are coming together to gather at the Parliament. It’s critical that the Scottish Government put in place a moratorium while we figure out what’s right for Scotland.”

Rachel MacMillian from the Bishopriggs campaign said:

“We at Bishopbriggs and Lenzie are standing with campaigns across Scotland to fight against the proposed data centre builds threatening to blight our communities and countryside. It is vital that local people contact their MSPs and highlight the dangers to humans and the environment posed by these builds. Bring banners, invite your MSPs out to speak with you about your concerns — we are all in this fight together. Only together can we demand a moratorium. We are calling on the First Minister to push pause on these developments so we can investigate the true scale of their damage to Scotland.”

Lisa Beacham of the Hurlford Campaign said:

“Our village has been under a shadow for nearly a year now, from plans for a vast hyperscale data centre which would cover fields next to the village for as far as the eye can see. We are horrified that this kind of development would even be proposed, let alone promoted by the Scottish Government’s policies. We are calling on Holyrood to demand that the Scottish Government listen to local people and put a stop to this, and all the other developments that are threatening communities all over Scotland. These developments have national consequences and we need the Government to pay attention to what is happening.”

Hazel McIvor of the Larbert Campaign said:

“People in Larbert are waking up to what is being proposed here and they’re not prepared to simply stand by while big tech companies and governments put profit from AI before our community and our local environment. We will be up at the Parliament to tell the Scottish Government just that.

“We might not have the resources and deep pockets these companies have but we do have grit and determination. Larbert, Stenhousemuir and Falkirk are fighting back and its brought us closer. Neighbours who once simply said “hello” in passing are now becoming friends through this campaign. It’s brought our community together in a way none of us ever expected. We are all extremely angry that a development of this scale is even being considered so close to our homes. It has caused sleepless nights for a few of us living close to the proposed site.

“We know this could be a long fight but we’re not going anywhere. If they’re expecting the people of Larbert to give up quietly, they’ve underestimated us. Bring it on.”

Kat Jones, Director of APRS said:

“It is clear that a moratorium on hyperscale AI data centres has huge public support across Scotland, and in across all political parties. When the Parliament starts up again next week, all eyes will be on what the First Minister has to say about it” 

Press Contact: Please email kat@aprs.scot or call 0131 225 7012 and dial 1 for Press

Information for the Rally at Parliament: 

The campaigners are welcoming others to join then – the timing is below. They are encouraging all supporters who come to contact their MSPs to let them know they will be there, and to invite them out for a chat to them outside the Parliament ahead of General Questions and First Minister’s Questions.

Timing

Date: Thursday 3rd September 2026

• Assemble 1130am
• Group photos 1145am
• Please do invite your MSPs (both constituency and regional) down to meet you from 1200-1300
• 1300/1315  we will head into the Parliament to listen to general questions (which starts 1330) and FMQs (1400) which

Please do look at the policy for protests on the Scottish Parliament website. The Campaigners want to encourage all supporters to contact their MSPs are let them know they will be there and to invite them out for a chat.

If you are coming please let your local campaign know, or if you aren’t part of a local campaign and wish to come as an individual please still contact your MSPs and just let us know on the form here so we can keep the Scottish Parliament informed of numbers and let you know if anything changes.