First Minister says communities and landscapes must be considered as opposition grows to Lammermuir Hills data centre plans
Last updated 18th Jun 2026
First Minister John Swinney says the impact on communities and the landscape must be carefully considered when deciding where major energy and technology developments should be built.
His comments come as opposition continues to grow to controversial plans for a £2 billion AI data centre in the Lammermuir Hills, with a petition against the proposal now attracting more than 11,000 signatures.
It's envisaged the development, on land owned by the Roxburghe Estates near Longformacus, would be powered by nearby wind energy and has been described by campaigners as one of the largest projects of its kind in Scotland.
Speaking on a visit to the Royal Highland Show in Edinburgh today (Thursday), Mr Swinney told Greatest Hits Radio: “Obviously there's a debate to be had about the location of any individual planning project and there's a number of them underway just now.
“The crucial point is that the implications for communities have got to be taken into account - the implications for landscape have got to be taken into account, and obviously there are a whole range of wider questions in relation to energy use that are central to the delivery of any of these facilities.
“So, the effective planning process to consider any of these developments is fundamental to the decisions that have got to be made.”
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Campaigners concerned over the impact the data centre development could have on the local landscape and wildlife, as well as the nearby Southern Upland Way, have welcomed the First Minister's comments but argue the existing rules don’t go far enough.
Zach Pygall, a member of Save the Lammermuirs - Stop the Data Centre, said: “There are serious gaps in the NPF4 framework, in relation to the 'green data centres', and developers are taking serious advantage of this lack of clarity.
"It needs to be updated immediately, to protect our landscapes and the communities involved.”
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Last week a Proposal of Application (Pan) notice was submitted to Scottish Borders Council, for the Southside Data Centre with the planning authority legally obliged to respond to it within 21 days, outlining whether the consultation planned is adequate.
The planned development comprises of three large two-storey data centre buildings, each with a height up to 24m.
Within each building, half comprises IT floor space and half electrical and mechanical infrastructure.
According to Sunlaws Development Company, it would create 145 long-term jobs and contribute around £12 million a year to the local economy.
Speaking following a site visit, South of Scotland Liberal Democrat MSP Duncan Dunlop said: “My initial thoughts on the data bank that's proposed for Lammermuir Hills was a real surprise. We haven't got much of that (wilderness) left in Scotland, they’re unique areas.
“There's one of these planned for Ravenscraig. That, for me, sounds like a reasonable idea. There's potential for one in Fort William, near an old aluminium smelt. Those are industrial areas. That's where we should have data centres, because this is an industrial size building."
But he added: “The UK Government needs to have a wider energy plan, but the Scottish Government must give us clarity on where they expect the energy infrastructure to be in terms of planning across Scotland, and the communities have to own it."
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The issue of data centres has been raised at today’s First Minister’s Questions in the Scottish Parliament.
Green party leader Ross Greer is calling for a moratorium on developments above 50 megawatts until a clear national strategy can be agreed – saying they pose very real problems for the communities that surround them, and would lead to higher bills.
“Multiple London boroughs have reportedly put a freeze on new house building because of the impacts of data centres on the grid," he told MSPs.
"The centres use so much power that, if additional homes are built in those areas, there would not be the grid capacity to provide them with electricity.”
First Minister John Swinney didn’t commit to that – but says the Scottish government will consider all emerging planning issues.
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