The Programme for Government, published today, lays out actions the Government will take over the next five years with a specific focus over the next year. It said the government were putting in place a strategic approach to green data centres “with clear expectations around environmental sustainability, resource use, community benefit and the economic and strategic value these developments should deliver.”
We were expecting there to be some kind of mention for data centres, due to the attention they have been getting and there was a paragraph in a section entitled “Supporting businesses to start, scale, and innovate” which said:
“Publish a strategic approach to attracting and securing responsible green data centre investment in Scotland, with clear expectations around environmental sustainability, resource use, community benefit and the economic and strategic value these developments should deliver.”
We are giving this statement an extremely cautious and measured welcome because we have, indeed, been calling for (among other things) a strategic approach. But this will only work if there is an immediate moratorium on planning decisions to allow this work to happen. There are three data centres that are currently live, Larbert, Auchtertool and Greenock, and these must be immediately called in and paused by the Scottish Government. Then we need them to be clear about their intentions, to remove the uncertainty that other communities are suffering due to the threat of hyperscale data centres hanging over them.
Kat Jones, Director of Action to Protect Rural Scotland said:
“The Scottish Government is at last slowly starting to respond to the threat of a speculative hyperscale data centre gold rush, with their plans for a strategic approach, but this will only work if they put a hold on proposals. Ministers must immediately pause the three live applications in Larbert, Auchtertool and Greenock and make clear their intentions to publish the strategic plan before any hyperscale data centres are granted planning permission.
“Communities across Scotland face the threat of a hyperscale data centres, with new proposals continuing to appear. The status quo means they will continue to have fears over air quality, loss of local green spaces, and an effective end to hopes for meeting our climate targets. People can’t sell their homes and businesses cannot invest. A planning moratorium is the only route out of this uncertainty.”
Lisa Beecham, Hurlford Campaign said:
“The Scottish Government are already using language favoured by developers when discussing these data centres. Without a planning moratorium this is a slap in the face to communities who have clearly put more work into understanding this new industry than those paid to represent us”
Penny Sinclair, Auchtertool Action Group said:
“The Programme for Government says a lot about tackling the climate emergency, benefiting nature and protecting our beautiful Scotland, but until there is a pause on this rush for hyperscale data centres and a proper strategy these are just platitudes.”
Hazel McQueen of the Larbert Campaign said:
“We have been shouting about this for months and asking someone to actually stop and listen to the people of Larbert. We’ve proved that ordinary people standing together can make one hell of a noise when we need to and we are not going to stop until we have stopped the threat to our community.”
Michael Maciocia of the Larbert Campaign said:
“Scottish Ministers expect communities to consent to large and industrial developments like the current wave of hyperscale AI datacentres, but they also say that communities voices need to be central in decision making processes. Without changes to the legislation how can this be achieved? We need the planning system to better reflect the importance of community voices, rather than marginalising them.”
Sarah Matthews of the West Edinburgh/ Hermiston Campaign said:
“Today was an opportunity for the Scottish Government to show world class AI governance and implement a moratorium. Instead Scottish communities haven’t been listened to and are left worried about their future. Innovation without governance isn’t progress.
“We aren’t against progress but consider transparency, assessment and accountability as key factors for any decision making particularly when there is so much at stake. We hear a lot about economic benefits and investment but are left in the dark about what this means.”
“As a mum of two little girls, aged two and four, I find a lack of distinct guidance deeply concerning. These poor decions will shape the Scotland our children inherit. It’s the AI data centre Wild West.”