The Scottish National Party (SNP)’s national council passed a motion last Sunday to freeze all new data centres in Scotland – a motion that has now been sent to the Scottish government for consideration, according to a report by The Guardian.

A move like this could apply to all data centre projects that have not yet received planning permission, although this remains to be determined by the Scottish government.

Scotland is currently host to nearly 40 operational colocation and enterprise data centre facilities, with major providers like DataVita and Pulsant providing Tier III certified capacity in the country. The UK’s push for AI and data centre-related innovation has led to friction in Scotland, with criticisms including use of rural land, noise and further strains on the power grid.

According to Scottish Greens, the Scottish Green political party, there are 24 proposals for major new data centre sites in Scotland which – if all are approved – will consume up to 6,000MW of power, more than 1.5 times the total peak power used by Scotland now.

“Within limits, data centres are an essential part of modern infrastructure,” the Party said online. “But at a time of rising energy prices and stalled climate action, an unplanned expansion could have huge impacts on both people and planet, and the huge scale of expansion is mostly about enriching giant AI companies.”

The news comes as it was found that a UK council was reportedly encouraged by the government to approve plans for Nscale’s data centre project expansion, despite opposition from local councillors. Nscale’s proposal to upgrade its plans for the data centre had been opposed by the local town council, which raised concerns about water and power supplies, the council’s landscapes and urban design teams.

Public concerns over data centres being built in local communities are rising worldwide. In addition to resistance across the UK, areas in the US are protesting the sudden influx of data centres, highlighting climate change concerns, among other challenges.

It also comes after the UK classified data centres as critical national infrastructure and sought to relax planning and infrastructure rules to enable quicker innovation, Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves MP highlighted last year. With a leadership change in the UK imminent, after Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer steps down, questions are circulating about how his successor will confront the data centre subject.

Capacity noted in its State of the Sector: Data Centres report earlier this year that data centre companies could do more to work with local authorities and the public not only to educate them on how data centres can benefit their area, but to listen and engage with sustainable strategies and practices to protect, rather than damage, land.

Kat Jones, Director of Action to Protect Rural Scotland (APRS) explained via an online statement: “It is thanks to the campaigns springing up in communities which have the threat of hyperscale AI data centres hanging over them, that the issue is now so much in the public eye and that MSPs and Councillors are really starting to take notice.”

She added: “We want to see work start immediately to ensure hyperscale AI data centres are required to have an Environmental Impact Assessment, that the impacts on communities and the environment are fully investigated, and that proper guidance is provided to local authorities.”

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