Deadline looms for public to have their say on plans for huge data centre in Fife

The public have until July 2 to respond to plans to build a hyperscale data centre in Auchtertool.

Serious concerns have been raised over ILI Cato Limited’s bid to get planning permission in principle for a data centre campus on land to the north west of the village.

The proposals including a complex of data hall buildings, which could be as high as 35 metres, as well as electricity substations, security fencing, gatehouses and other infrastructure.

Residents have voiced their concerns about the scale of the development, which is the equivalent size of 100 football pitches, and it is understood, would use the equivalent energy of half of Scotland’s households.

To date, more than 5000 people have signed a petition against the plans. A similar application for a centre in Larbert is also being strongly opposed.

Campaigners are urging people to ensure they let their views be known ahead of the deadline for submitting comments to Fife Council on the planning application.

The Scottish Government has rejected calls for a moratorium on new hyperscale data centres, but questions were raised over such centres in Holyrood last week.

Mark Ruskell, Scottish Green MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, said Fife Council needs “urgent guidance” from the Scottish Government on AI data centres.

He highlighted that whilst Fife Council initially said an environmental impact assessment (EIA) was not necessary for the Auhctertool application, the Scottish Government has now received a screening direction request for the application, which means the government will now provide guidance as to whether an EIA is in fact required.

He said: “We’re currently facing a wave of speculative hyper-scale data centre planning applications in Scotland. But it’s clear that the Scottish Government has been caught off guard – and big tech businesses are trying to exploit weaknesses and loopholes in our planning process.

“Local Authorities have been left to navigate these issues in the dark – without explicit guidance or even the requirement to issue environmental impact assessments on plans the scale of the one we’re seeing in Auchtertool.

“Communities like those in Auchtertool are outraged to see proposals for hyperscale data centres face such little scrutiny. So it’s not surprising that clarity is needed for a number of Councils across the country.

“That’s exactly why we need a moratorium on all applications for hyperscale data centres until the government issues updated planning guidance and a requirement for an environmental impact assessment on all applications as standard.”

Mark Ruskell – the Scottish Green MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife – yesterday asked the Cabinet Secretary for Climate Action and Nature to issue urgent guidance to Councils dealing with an influx of planning applications for hyperscale data centres.

He highlighted the case of Auchtertool in Fife, where ILI Cato Group have an application in for a hyperscale data centre the size of over 100 football pitches. Whilst Fife Council initially said an environmental impact assessment was not necessary for this application, the Scottish Government has now received a screening direction request for this planning application, which means the Government will now provide guidance as to whether an EIA is in fact required.

Speaking in parliament, First Minister John Swinney addressed the issue when asked by Green party co-leader Gillian Mackay whether his administration will “continue to allow a free-for-all on hyperscale data centres”.

He said he is giving “active consideration to whether the Scottish Government should provide planning guidance to balance the rapid expansion of hyperscale data centres with national energy and climate goals, which are vital to our future prosperity”.

The firm behind proposals in the Kingdom, ILI Group stated that it hopes to engage directly with individual residents in a bid to ease their concerns.