Data centre halt must see action, say Greens
The Scottish Greens have claimed a victory in forcing the Scottish Government to halt the unchecked spread of hyperscale data centres.
Following a debate led by Green MSPs, ministers conceded that no data centre applications should be decided until the government draws up new planning guidance.
However, the Scottish Greens have warned that this falls short of the formal pause demanded by campaigners.
Regional MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Mark Ruskell, called on ministers to produce both a clear national strategy and provide proper support for councils like Fife Council, which is currently considering an application for a hyperscale data centre at Auchtertool.
Following pressure from the Scottish Greens and community campaigners, the Scottish Government has also committed to introducing mandatory Environmental Impact Assessments as part of the application process.
The debate comes amid growing concern over the proposed data centre development at Auchtertool, and similar plans being brought forward across Scotland.
Mark Ruskell MSP said : “The spread of hyperscale data centres is a threat to our climate and to communities like Auchtertool which are facing proposals for massive sites.
“Following pressure from the Greens and local campaigners, the Scottish Government has finally accepted the urgent need for stronger safeguards. Critically, they appear to have agreed that no application should go ahead until those safeguards are in place.
“Their language was worryingly vague on that key point though.
“We now need a clear national strategy, mandatory environmental assessments, and real support for councils like Fife who are being forced to deal with these applications. The Greens will work to make sure this happens.
“Our communities need to have a say on what is being built on their doorsteps. And Scotland needs an overall plan for how many of these developments we really need and whether they can be built without serious environmental harm.”
He added: “We cannot allow ourselves to sleepwalk into a big tech free-for-all. It would push up our energy bills, damage our environment and leave communities across Fife to pick up the pieces.”