Environmental Impact Assessments now required
Large data centre applications are set to face more stringent environmental requirements.
The Scottish Government has published a planning direction which requires an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) to be submitted during planning for all new data centres with a power capacity exceeding 50 megawatts (MW).
This follows a direction last month requiring planning authorities to notify Scottish Ministers of all new data centre applications within seven days of validation.
Public Finance Minister Hannah Mary Goodlad said: “The Scottish Government recognises that data centres are a rapidly evolving sector attracting a broad range of views, opinions and concerns, and that evidence on the environmental impact of data centres continues to develop.
“As this is an emerging industry, we have the opportunity to get this right from the start. The guidance issued today is the next step in that process.
“We must balance the economic and employment interests in developing data centres with national energy, climate and community wealth building ambitions, which are vital to our future prosperity, as well as the potential impact on local communities.
“Ensuring that an Environmental Impact Assessment is always part of the application process will create a level playing field for developers and will ensure potentially significant environmental effects are considered from the outset.”
The Scottish Greens expressed frustration at the decision: ‘SNP have teamed up with the Tories and Lib Dems.
‘They’ve voted down a Green motion which would have brought in a moratorium against new hyperscale AI data centres in Scotland.
‘Instead they’ve chosen to muddy the water, leaving confusion when our communities need certainty.’