Special meeting to hear from both sides of AI data centre plans after 7,000 objections

A special meeting of Falkirk Council’s planning committee will allow the councillors making the decision the chance to hear from both sides of the controversial application.

More than 7,000 people have now formally objected to Apatura’s application to build a 300MW hyperscale AI data centre on former farmland beside Glenbervie Business Park on Bellsdyke Road.

The developers say that the centre would bring investment and employment, including around 500 long-term, well-paid local jobs.

But opponents, including many local residents, are sceptical of their claims and many believe that the location – next to a care home and close to a major hospital as well as thousands of houses – is completely unsuitable.

The campaign group Say No to Larbert Data Centre has urged its supporters to attend the hearing which will be held in Larbert High School at 6 pm on September 16.

The group, led by retired technology worker Michael Maciocia, this week also presented Falkirk Council with a petition with more than 7300 names, mostly from the Forth Valley area, with many from Larbert, Torwood and Stenhousemuir.

The group has also held several demonstrations and three public meetings to highlight their fears about the noise, pollution and traffic they believe the giant centre will inflict on the neighbourhood.

But Mr Maciocia has stressed that the council’s pre-determination hearing should not be seen as a protest as it is a formal part of the planning process.

At the meeting, councillors can ask questions and request more information on the application.

The developers will be given a chance to speak and to answer questions from councillors but the meeting will also hear from some of the residents who have formally objected to the plans.

All those who submitted written objections have been asked if they wish to speak at the meeting or nominate someone to do so on their behalf and several campaigners will speak on the issues that they see as most important.

The meeting will also consider comments from many sources, including the NHS regional health partnership which has raised concerns about the omission of key information, including details about any emissions and noise caused by the back-up generators that are proposed for the site.

It also wants more detail on the use of water, including the source of water supply, management of cooling system chemicals, highlighting the absence of detailed long-term monitoring and cumulative impact assessment.

The hearing will also consider reports by environmental bodies including the Scottish Environmental Protection Agency (SEPA) as well as some council departments, such as transport planning.

Councillors who are members of the planning committee cannot comment publicly on any of the issues as they would then be considered to have pre-judged the application and would not be allowed to vote when the time comes.

But Mr Maciocia says that he has been saddened that most councillors have not commented publicly on the planning application.

He said: “It is sad that councillors of every ward in Falkirk Council area, Stirling Council and Clackmannanshire Council areas, bar Gary Bouse and Claire Mackie Brown, has failed to stand up and call out that this planning application will harm their constituents and hospital users.”

He also says the local community has been at a disadvantage throughout the planning process.

Speaking ahead of the pre-determination hearing, he said: “Apatura have had bi-weekly meetings with council officials. As a community we had nothing. That is not democracy, it has to change!”

The planning application was accompanied by 133 documents and Mr Maciocia says the community has been very fortunate that volunteer experts were willing and able to help look through the documents in depth.

He said: “This involved hundreds of hours of in-depth research done in their spare time. Charities that jumped to help us. Everyone in the area should be thankful that they exist and are there to help.”

The result of their efforts, he says, is finding that “the application is missing huge areas of critical information relating to the planning framework and legislation”.

He added: “It is our intention to call these out in the pre-determination hearing.

“Many of these have been reviewed and found to be deficient to law, with all that that implies behind Falkirk Council Planning Committee coming to a decision in favour of the application.”

The Larbert application is just one of 24 applications for hyperscale data centres at different stages across Scotland and environmental campaigners say that such a rapid expansion could have a huge impact.

This week the Scottish Greens are calling for a moratorium until their impact on the environment has been properly assessed.

Scottish Greens MSP Gillian Mackay said: “The Government says it is in favour of so-called green data centres. But the developer at Larbert admits their application would have a major, adverse impact on the environment and the local community.

“Hyperscale data centres are a threat to our climate and communities.”

The pre-determination hearing takes place in The Plaza, Larbert High School, Carrongrange Avenue, Larbert, FK5 3BL at 6pm on Wednesday, September 16.

The meeting will also be livestreamed on Falkirk Council’s YouTube channel.