National Farmers’ Union (NFU) Scotland has raised concerns about “agricultural land being taken out of production” to facilitate the development of artificial intelligence (AI) data centres.
NFU Scotland outlined its opposition to establishing data centres on farmland in light of several sites being proposed across Scotland recently.
One of the most expensive proposals is being brought forward by Intelligent Land Investment (ILI) Group, a Scottish infrastructure developer that plans on creating three data centres along Scotland’s Central Belt.
ILI Group stated that an estimated £15 billion will be invested throughout the three sites, which are located in Fife, East Ayrshire and North Lanarkshire.
The infrastructure developer noted that each project has “secured a grid connection, land rights, and has now entered the planning process”, with ILI Group claiming it will provide “thousands of direct construction jobs at peak, alongside long-term, high-value roles in operations and technology”.
NFU Scotland
However, NFU Scotland are amongst several campaign groups who have voiced concerns against the proposals, warning that data centres may have a negative impact on Scotland’s countryside.
A spokesperson for the union said: “Scotland’s farmland is a finite and increasingly valuable resource and we do not support whole scale land use change.
“While we recognise the importance of AI development, productive agricultural land should not be lost unnecessarily when alternative sites may be available.
“Food security, rural livelihoods, the views of the community affected and sustainable land use must remain central considerations in any planning decision.”
Lammermuir Hills
Separately, another data centre is being proposed for the Lammermuir Hills near Longformacus in the Scottish Borders, which is being developed by Roxburghe Estates and Sunlaws Development Company Ltd.
The newly established campaign group, Save The Lammermuirs, is now calling on the Scottish Borders Council to reject the proposed data centre, which will reportedly be established on “rural landscapes historically known for open moorland, wildlife, and hill farming.”
Save The Lammermuirs also warned that such a proposal “would introduce a major industrial development into a Special Landscape Area (SLA), raising serious concerns about landscape impact, wildlife, energy demand, infrastructure, light pollution, noise, and long-term environmental consequences”.
The campaign group said: “We are not anti-technology and we are not opposed to sustainable development.
“However, we believe developments of this scale must be located in the right places, with full transparency, robust scrutiny and clear public benefit.
“We believe this proposal is the wrong development in the wrong place.”
As part of its campaign, Save The Lammermuirs created a petition to stop the date centre, which can be found on the campaign group’s website, with over 5,000 signatures recorded so far.