What advice it provides local authorities in relation to assessing planning applications for AI data centres, including regarding the cumul…

National Planning Framework 4 (NPF4) designates “Green Data Centres” as National Development. Policy 24 of NPF4 supports Digital Infrastructure, encouraging, promoting and facilitating the roll out of digital infrastructure across Scotland to unlock the potential of all our places and the economy. The Scottish Government is a co-commissioner of the Strategic Spatial Energy Plan which will model likely energy demand up to 2050 and the generation approaches required to support that demand. In a response to Martyn Day MSP on Thursday 25 June, I advised that the Scottish Government is urgently considering whether more formal guidance is required to help local planning authorities. In a response to Gillian MacKay MSP on Thursday 25 June, the First Minister set out that he is giving active consideration to whether the Scottish Government should provide planning guidance to balance the rapid expansion of hyperscale data centres with national energy and climate goals, which are vital to our future prosperity.