John Swinney to consider whether approval for hyperscale data centres should be decided locally
‘Councils cannot make those decisions in a co-ordinated and planned way without the Scottish Government stepping in’ - Gillian Mackay MSP
First Minister John Swinney has said he will consider if it is “appropriate” for councils to decide on proposed new hyperscale data centres, given the size of the developments.
He told MSPs he recognised the level of “public concern” around such sites and understood the worries about the impact on energy resources and on the environment.
And answering a question from Scottish Greens co-leader Gillian Mackay he said: “I am 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.”
Mr Swinney told her work on the issue “would be undertaken a matter of priority by the Government”. “I appreciate the urgency of this question because there are a number of applications that are now being considered by planning authorities.”
His comments come amid controversy over several data centres proposed at 24 sites across Scotland. Edinburgh council last week backed a Green for the government to put a moratorium on new data centres until a definition was worked out for “green” data centres, which have been classed as national infrastructure, a designation which influences how applications must be considered.
In the absence of a government definition, the council is also starting work on providing its own definition of the term.
An application to build a green data centre at the former RBS headquarters site at Edinburgh Park was refused by the council in February and is now under appeal. And a pre-application notice has been submitted for a site at Hermiston.
Ms Mackay said: “If all 24 applications are approved, they will use up to one and a half times the peak energy use of the whole of Scotland. If it is the Government’s position that councils should be able to make the planning decisions locally, I note that they cannot. How are we supposed to possibly get a handle on the combined energy impacts?
“Councils cannot make those decisions in a co-ordinated and planned way without the Scottish Government stepping in. The Government has the responsibility to provide councils with guidance and communities with certainty, and they need the pause that we are asking for.”
Mr Swinney replied that Ms Mackay was asking for local authorities to be enabled to take decisions compatible with the country’s energy requirements, but she also expected them to do that in a co-ordinated and organised way across the country.
“Those two things are not possible at the same time. That is why I must explore whether it is appropriate for such decision making to be undertaken at a local level, given the scale of the developments involved.”
He said that large-scale renewable energy projects of a certain scale were automatically referred to the government. “What has been raised is a fundamental reshaping of the planning policy of our country and the way in which our decisions are taken. I am prepared to consider that and contemplate it because I recognise the public concern.
“I assure Gillian Mackay that all the issues about local and national decision making and the implications for energy use will be considered fully.”