Campaigners from across Scotland say they ‘won’t stop’ until moratorium announced on AI data centres
Campaigners have called on First Minister John Swinney to immediately pause developments until concerns have been fully considered and until a Government strategy is put in place.
Campaigners from across Scotland have said they “won’t stop” until the Scottish Government announces a moratorium on the development of AI data centres.
A protest brought hundreds of people from 15 local campaign groups together in front of the Scottish Parliament on Thursday to oppose AI data centre development in Scotland.
Organisers called on First Minister John Swinney to immediately pause developments until concerns have been fully considered and until a Government strategy is put in place.
Hazel McQueen, one of the organisers from the Say NO To Larbert Data Centre group, said: “When you see the amount of people here, and the fact that Larbert alone had 7,000 objections, [Mr Swinney] needs to listen to the people. He needs to listen to the people of Larbert and the people of Scotland.
“We’re not going to stop, we’ll use anything at our disposal, even if it means going down a legal route.”
There are currently plans for an £8 billion AI investment zone in North Lanarkshire, a £5 billion data centre project near the small village of Auchtertool in Fife, and a £2 billion data centre in the Borders.
Critics, including local campaign groups, have warned over the centres’ impact on the environment, including extremely high electricity and water usage.
Kat Jones, from Action to Protect Rural Scotland (APRS), said people across Scotland feel they are not being listened to by the Government.
“We did hear the Scottish Government say on Tuesday in the new Programme for Government that they wanted to see a strategic approach to data centres, but with [development plans] coming in quick and fast through the planning system, what we need more than anything is a pause, and then that strategic work, and studies of what the impacts are, and consultation with communities can be done,” she said.
Melanie Gallacher, 52, from Musselburgh, attended the protest to oppose the development plans for a data centre in the nearby town of Cockenzie.
She urged Mr Swinney and the Scottish Government to “please do the right thing” and halt developments.
Ms Gallacher said towns and residents should not have to “pay the cost and have to suffer these dreadful buildings and the environment they create”.
Kim Pratt, a campaigner with Friends of the Earth Scotland, said the proposed data centres would have a “huge impact both on people and nature” if they go ahead.
She said: “We want [the Scottish Government] to take action immediately to create a moratorium on all data centres in Scotland until there are environmental and social safeguards in place.”
In August, the Government announced planning authorities would be required to notify ministers of data centre applications within seven days of validation.
The new direction applies to data centre developments exceeding 50 megawatts (MW) power capacity.
Public finance minister Hannah Mary Goodlad said: “We must balance the economic and employment interests in developing data centres with national energy, climate and community wealth building ambitions, which are vital to our future prosperity, as well as the potential impact on local communities.
“It is essential to secure public benefits from this type of development, and I am clear that voices of communities that will be affected will be central to any considerations on data centres.”
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