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Search the Public Notice PortalTHE Scottish Government is being called on to "immediately pause" the plans for a hyperscale data centre in Auchtertool.
Mark Ruskell MSP and Fife campaigners are among those demanding that ministers at Holyrood enact a moratorium on applications.
Yesterday (Thursday) hundreds gathered outside the parliament to protest against all of the 24 data centre proposals currently moving through Scotland's planning system.
Plans for Auchtertool in particular have attracted widespread objection and press attention due to its scale. Upon completion, it would be the second largest in the world, with the site considerably bigger than the village itself.
To highlight their frustration with the local authority's planning committee, campaigners recently protested outside Fife House in Glenrothes, before taking to parliament to join other Scottish campaigners.
A spokesperson from the Auchtertool Action Group (AAG) said: "There were around 300 people there [at the Holyrood protest], which was a great turnout and shows that the campaign against hyperscale AI data centres is something that people feel strongly about.
"This campaign probably enjoys the widest public support of any in recent years."
So far, more than 14,000 objections to the Fife project have been recorded, with complainers citing noise and water pollution, green space reduction and high energy consumption as reasons it should be denied planning.
A nationwide petition launched by Action to Protect Rural Scotland, which calls on the government to pause applications, has also attracted nearly 23,000 signatures at the time of writing.
Kat Jones, director of Action to Protect Rural Scotland, added: "Ministers must immediately pause the three live applications in Larbert, Auchtertool and Greenock and make clear their intentions to publish the strategic plan before any hyperscale data centres are granted planning permission."
Despite the demonstrations outside on Thursday, the Scottish Government have refused to commit to any pauses.
Mr Ruskell, a Scottish Green Party MSP for Fife, has strongly backed local campaigns against the data centre and previously called out the lack of stipulation for an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for Auchtertool.
This is now something which will be required despite AAG wanting a more "detailed" assessment.
Mr Ruskell said: “Hundreds of people gathered outside parliament angry at the lack of meaningful action from the Scottish Government to stand up to big tech and control the hyperscale data centre boom.
“I share their frustration. Two months have passed since I last raised this issue in the chamber.
"Since then, all we’ve seen is a weak commitment from the government to be notified when applications are submitted, and a frankly bizarre pledge in the new Programme for Government to encourage more applications for green data centres, despite the fact that we still do not have a definition of what a green data centre is.
“The response from the Deputy First Minister today is disappointing. It’s beyond time for the Scottish Government to show leadership.
"We need an urgent pause on all hyperscale data centre applications until they provide a full definition of a green data centre, robust planning guidance for councils, and require environmental assessments on applications as standard."
Concerns have also been raised after it emerged that the Auchtertool site could be powered by an upcoming Argyll hydro plan.
It recently emerged that developers are planning "to use electricity generated from a [proposed] pump storage scheme at Loch Awe” for the Cato site, over 100 miles away.
A representative of AAG had said: "The pump storage scheme has been objected to by numerous environmental bodies and will be extremely damaging for the environment.
"If this energy is being used to power a data centre and not help us achieve our climate goals, then this permission should not be given."
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