Stop the Fife Mega AI Data Centre

The ILI Cato Group wants to build a vast AI data centre in the heart of Fife’s countryside. Their plans for this mega-development would drastically change the local landscape and could use more than 20% of Scotland’s annual energy usage. But despite this, Fife Council don’t even want to fully check the environmental impact of the proposal.

Join us in telling Fife Council to reject this dangerous hyperscale AI data centre.

could use more than 20% of Scotland's annual energy usage

If approved, the development would introduce industrial-scale buildings up to 35 metres high into the heart of the Fife countryside, on a site the size of 100 football pitches, fundamentally changing the landscape around Auchtertool.

Residents have raised serious concerns about the scale of the proposal, its impact on nature and biodiversity, the huge energy demands of the facility, potential water consumption, noise and heat pollution and the lack of guaranteed benefits for local communities.

Early calculations predict the energy usage of this centre alone will be in excess of half of Scotland's homes, the equivalent of 20% of Scotland’s energy usage. Yet, Fife Council have determined an Environmental Impact Assessment isn’t even required.

Fife Council is considering the application right now. We want to make sure they hear our concerns loud and clear. And we have until the 2nd July to submit our views.

By signing our campaign, you will send an objection to Fife Council, adding your voice to the growing number of people calling for this development to be rejected.

Write to Fife Council now

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Dear Chair of the Planning Committee and relevant Planning Officers,

I wish to formally object to the proposed AI Data Centre development on land near Auchtertool, listed as application: 26/01243/PPP

I do not believe this proposal is appropriate for this location and I am deeply concerned about its potential impact on the local community, nature, the environment and the rural character of the area.

I wish to raise particular concern with:
- The sheer scale of the development. The proposed campus would be significantly larger than the nearby village itself, with data hall buildings reaching heights of up to 35 metres. This would fundamentally alter the landscape and visual character of the area.
- The impact on the countryside surrounding Auchtertool. The site currently consists of open rural land which contributes to the areas character and biodiversity. The industrialisation of this landscape on this scale would be irreversible and is in contradiction to the council’s 2024 Climate Strategy and Action Plan - specifically the protection of biodiversity and focus on repurposing of brownfield land.
- The potential impact on wildlife, habitats and local heritage assets. There are concerns that the development could affect important natural habitats and historic features in the area.
- The enormous energy demand associated with the proposal. Public reports indicate that the facility could require up to 600MW of power, making it one of the largest developments of its kind proposed in Scotland. Residents deserve clear answers about the implications for Scotlands energy network and climate commitments.
- Uncertainty regarding water consumption, cooling systems, noise generation and wider environmental impacts. Community discussions and previous consultations have highlighted that key questions remain unanswered. Given the scale of the proposal, these issues require thorough scrutiny before any decision is made.
- The limited long-term employment benefits compared with the scale of the development and its impacts on the local area. There appear to be no guarantees of jobs for the local economy, which has already suffered the sudden loss of the Mossmorran Ethylene Plant. It is widely accepted that data centres provide very few jobs once operational and contribute little to the local economy.
- I am also concerned that the benefits promoted by the developer, including potential community and heating benefits, appear to be subject to future viability assessments rather than being guaranteed outcomes. 
- I also believe it is completely against Fife Council’s agreed environmental targets to allow such applications to progress, especially without mandating a full Environmental Impact Assessment, particularly while no clear guidance for assessing planning applications for data centres is set out in the national planning frameworks available.

For these reasons, I respectfully ask Fife Council to refuse this application.

I would be grateful if this objection could be recorded as a formal representation and kept on file as part of the planning process.

Yours faithfully,

This message will be sent to development.central@fife.gov.uk marked with your email address

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