Action to Protect Rural Scotland

18/08/2026

Channel 4 news this evening. Great to see such great coverage of Auchtertool Say No To Cato Data Centre but sad they cut the brilliant contributions from Ann and Diane from Woodhall, Faskine and Palacecraig Conservation Group

Just a couple of corrections
- the height of the data halls at Auchtertool will be 35m high not 35ft
- the 'new' data centre they refer to for the AI Growth Zone is actually an extension to the existing data centre and it is already a long way into construction. It is small, around a third-half the physical size of the current 24MW data centre whereas the AI Growth zone is supposed to support more than 500MW of power.

17/08/2026

The Government is starting to listen to us and the community campaigners. It's a good start. Our statement is below:

“Common sense has, at last, prevailed. The Scottish Government has realised that the fact that they have no information about hyperscale data centres in the planning pipeline is a serious issue. Knowing what is proposed, and where, is critical to start to get a handle of the speculative wave of hyperscale data centre applications, so this the start of the information that the Scottish Government needs to start gathering. When we first brought to their attention, back in December, that the energy demands of data centres in the planning pipeline would double Scotland’s peak power demand we expected them to ask for this information straight away, it shouldn’t have really needed a ten-month campaign for this to happen. Today we are celebrating that the process of getting a sensible approach to this situation is beginning.

“The Government are now requiring an EIA for Auchtertool and for West Edinburgh/Hermiston data centres, which is obviously fantastic news for the local campaigners, and we would like to see this for all proposed hyperscale data centres incl;uding those that have been screened out of EIAs (Coldstream, Chapelhall, two at Ravenscraig).

“All in all we are delighted that the Government is starting to listen to us, and to the community campaigners. We are encouraged that this is the start of the process to properly look into the impacts that hyperscale data centres will have on our grid, our communities and our climate targets. Certainly the fact that Hannah Mary Goodlad has called in the Edinburgh Gyle data centre is positive because we believe it could be the start of an effective pause on planning applications so that the Scottish Government have the time to do the research and put national planning policies in place.”

“This announcement comes in the context of our Scottish Parliament petition which has now gathered more than 18,000 signatures, we hope that the Scottish Government will now address the wider things it calls for.”

Planned AI data centres in Fife and Edinburgh will have to publish Environmental Impact Assessments, the Scottish Government has said

14/08/2026

📢 📢 Calling hyperscale data centre campaigners in Scotland. We're organising an in - person workshop in Glasgow 19th of September for those campaigning against local data centre proposals and also supporters of our campaign for a moratorium on hyperscale data centers in Scotland.

We will have bespoke planning advice from experts, opportunities to meet each other and network, sessions on comms, working with MSPs, and the planning system and spokesperson training.

Please come and join us!

https://aprs.scot/hyperscale-data-centre-campaigner-day/

12/08/2026

Exciting news. We are recruiting for a Planner to join the hyperscale data centre campaign!!

Do you know someone who would suit this job? Please forward around your networks. We have very flexible arrangements to accommodate those who want to work part time so they can work freelance in another job. Would also suit newly retired planners.

Please go to link in comments to see how to apply. (email us a cv and covering statement)

Job Title:
Senior Planning and Policy Officer – Hyperscale Data Centre Campaign

Overview
This is a key role for APRS supporting our hyperscale data centre campaign. The role will provide expert advice and support for communities, while also producing representations and objections for planning applications as they come in, and also delivering on policy and development planning work related to hyperscale data centres. We are seeking a RTPI Chartered Town Planner (or eligible for full RTPI membership)

Summary

This role is focused on an exciting area of planning, where a rush of planning applications for hyperscale AI data centres is testing planning policy, guidance, and the key concept of the Scottish planning system being plan-led. This has implications for the environment, for Scotland’s landscapes and its resources and infrastructure. It also is of huge concern to local communities near to sites where hyperscale data centre development is proposed.

APRS is recruiting a qualified RTPI Planner to lead our technical and policy response to this rapid expansion. We have been campaigning on hyperscale data centres since October and momentum is gathering, with community campaigns springing up against data centres in their own localities. This role will have three stands: provide technical advice and support for communities grappling with the planning system, monitoring and responding to planning applications and inputting to local development plans, and also providing policy advice, briefings and consultation responses.

We are seeking a well organised, committed and proactive person, who has excellent technical knowledge of Scotland’s Planning system and also the ability to translate that knowledge into communications for non-specialists including communities, politicians, and civil servants (among others). You will join our small and supportive team. If you enjoy variety, a fast-paced work place, and want to make a real difference in a small environmental charity, we would love to hear from you.

This is an absolutely key role in our hyperscale data centre campaign and will support and extend the work we have been doing. As a small charity (we currently have only three part-time staff), this role will help make our data centre campaign more sustainable over the next year or so.

Action to Protect Rural Scotland (APRS) is Scotland’s countryside charity, campaigning to protect, enhance, and promote Scotland’s countryside and rural landscapes for everyone’s benefit, and we support others to do the same.

12/08/2026

Today we have written to the First Minister, along with ERCS (Environmental Rights Centre Scotland), to renew our calls for a moratorium on data centres until the Scottish Government have carried out a thorough assessment of their impacts on Scotland’s communities, greenhouse gas emissions, land and water resources and electricity grid; until all hyperscale data centres are required to carry out an Environmental Impact Assessment; and until the Scottish Government puts in place guidance on hyperscale data centres and ‘green data centres’.

Our Petition at the Scottish Parliament, asking for the same thing, has over 17000 signatures

The story had good coverage in many newspapers and Kat was on Radio Scotland this morning - when MSPs return to Holyrood in two and a half weeks time we hope they will look at this issue as a matter of urgency.