The Council are meeting to discuss a report on the possibility of putting in place a moratorium on hyperscale data centre developments in Edinburgh. This is the representation made by Sarah Finlay of the Hermiston Data Centre Campaign 15/6/2026
Thank you for giving me the opportunity to give a deputation. I am Sarah Matthews, a local resident in Gogarbank, I am a mother of two young girls and run a family business, I have previously worked in tech and I am a military reservist. Today, I represent the Hermiston Data Centre Campaign. We have a petition signed by over 2000 people already. I live around a quarter of a mile away from the proposed Hermiston data centre site.
I became aware of the data centre requested for Hermiston by Apatura after a post by Currie Community Council. My initial thoughts were, “well perhaps this is better than houses”, now having researched this further I could not be more wrong.
I am not an environmental campaigner and I am certainly not against progress, technology, AI for good and furthering the Scottish economy, but I am very worried at what is happening in Edinburgh and across Scotland and the lack of a robust planning guidance to systematically review these applications both individually and cumulatively. Many people are likening the proposals for hyperscale data centres with fracking.
When the ordinary person thinks of “green” they think of recycling, buying locally, turning off additional lights, cycling to work – they do not think of hyperscale data centres – huge black, noisy (in particular low level infrasound), meaningless boxes the size of 40 football pitches (30.5 hectares) that distribute fine pollution particulates in to the atmosphere- these are already showing early signs of health problems in the US, that heat up the land they are on and surrounding areas (early research shows up to 9 degrees), that use 200MW electricity – equivalent to 40,000 schools, require diesel generators; at worst, could use enough potable water to drain the Union Canal every month; and at best it could use a closed loop systems which still requires potable water and means even more electricity. The Hermiston hyperscale data centre is on greenbelt, Class 2 farmland (of which we only have 1.38% in Scotland), the nearest homes are 10m from the site. Infact an Apatura spokesperson (BBC Radio Scotland 09/06) said they are looking to deliver on brownfield sites and would not comment if he would live next to one! And this is with the current Nvidia chips, the latest chip, the Rubin will require even more cooling- more water and more energy. And so on, and so on….
The UN Study, The Environmental Cost of Artificial Intelligence: Carbon, Water, and Land Footprints said “What surprised us most is how often the choices that look greenest from a carbon perspective end up worse for water or for land,” said Dr. Miriam Aczel, UNU-INWEH Researcher and the lead author of the report. “If we keep judging AI sustainability by carbon alone, we might think that renewables make AI infrastructure clean but that is solving one problem while creating other problems, often in places that didn’t ask for it.”
We didn’t ask for this.
At the very least the people of Scotland expect elected councillors, MSPs and MPs to represent them, the people. Concerningly, the language of some officials (including Dr Scott Arthur MP) is that this is a fait accompli.
What we need is for the Scottish Government to respect local democracy and respect a moratorium if it has been democratically voted for by elected members of Edinburgh city council. Councillors should not be afraid of voting for a moratorium in case the Scottish government would then get to decide on them, they should vote in the interests of the local people and use their power and voice to press the Scottish government to respect their decision. Having no definition of a green data centre is completely unworkable and Edinburgh council should be using their voice to ensure that the government sorts out this completely untenable situation. This is happening in Edinburgh now, but it will be Falkirk and Fife next and then the many other local authorities where data centres are planned. Something needs to change urgently.
It seems that the most fundamental rigour is not even being applied, it has been determined that the site at Hermiston does not require an Environmental Impact Assessment whilst at least 5 other sites in Scotland have needed one. The CPD provided to local authority planners by the Government’s Improvement service on ‘green data centres’ was a thirty-minute – what I can only describe as a ‘sales pitch’ – from Apatura’s corporate director and head of planning. Totally biased towards Apatura’s objectives. So, you can understand why people are becoming extremely angry and suspicious.
Hyperscale data centres do not bring a highly paid workforce with them – they will bring short term construction jobs and then between 20-50 people – typically subcontracted by a 3rd party – to operate the data centre- depending on size. Infact when Apatura were asked who would be utilising the data centre site at Larbert they could not or would not say who the data centre was intended for. Local people deserve transparency. Local people deserve transparency
There is a reason both New York and Seattle City Council (Headquarters for Microsoft and Amazon) has just unanimously passed a moratorium on Data Centres, the bill will be paired with a resolution calling for impact studies of data centers on city infrastructure, water usage, utility rates, land use, jobs and public health. “Water, land, and air are life-giving resources not to be moved around on a balance sheet,” said Council member Juarez, prime sponsor of the resolution.
If Seattle, where majority of the revenue and profits generated from the use of AI flows back to, have blocked hyperscale data centres based on their knowledge of the impact Data centers have already had on their community, then Edinburgh should follow suit.
I understand the councillors are in a difficult position as policy has not kept pace with reality.
NPF4 gives special support to “green data centres” as National Developments. The 18 sites across Scotland (2 in Edinburgh) should not be considered ‘green data centres’ under NPF4. It is clear from the greenhouse emissions assessment of the NPF4 section containing the ‘green data centres’ wording, that these ‘green data centers’ are traditional data centres and not hyperscale AI data centres. NPF4 was written before the launch of chat GTP.
You have been asked to act on the word “green” without a definition. The planning guidelines on “green” (which, concerningly, come from a single sentence in an answer to a parliamentary question) you have been given- do not consider – pollution, carbon transparency or the choice of location (biodiversity, greenbelt). This is a very very weak position.
A commitment by the Scottish Government to define ‘what factors are prevalent in a green data centre’ (what I am a little confused as to what is even meant by this phrase) in 2027 is too late, Apatura’s website suggests they will have started construction by then! How can a definition possibly take so long when NPF4 was published three years ago. The only safe thing to do is for the government to immediately put in place a moratorium until they have produced robust and well-informed guidance.
At what cost are we willing to consider hyperscale data centres? Are you truly willing to put the health of the people of Edinburgh at risk and diminish vital natural resources – land, water and energy forever. Edinburgh city council please lead the way in making the right choices for the people of Scotland.
I therefore ask councillors to support a moratorium
Request a wider cumulative impacts on energy, water and infrastructure
Request an urgent moratorium on all applications at a national level
And call on the Scottish Government to respect local democracy and to respect this moratorium
Thank you.