City moves to 'ban’ new AI data centres - as Scotland unveils plan for rapid AI growth
Plus: Golden boy Josh Kerr's debt to mum; puffins return to the Forth; and new safety camera scans inside cars
Councillors back moratorium on ‘green’ AI data centre developments amid environmental concerns
The city council has agreed to explore a moratorium on new AI data centres - less than 24 hours before Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes announced plans to make the city and Scotland a leader in the field.
City councillors supported a proposal by the Greens to explore introduce a temporary ban on new so-called “green” data centres amid concerns about their impact on the environment. Council officials have also been charge with investigating whether a long-term ban in possible.
The following day Forbes unveiled a five-year AI strategy at the Edinburgh Futures Institute, along with analysis suggesting the sector could be worth £23billion to the Scottish economy by 2035.
Both the Scottish and UK Governments back plans to open new data centres around the Capital in order to build on Edinburgh University’s cutting-edge AI expertise and establish the city as an international leader in the field.
So, we won’t see any new data centres any time soon? Well, not necessarily. In reality, the council has limited powers to stop developments which meet criteria laid out in approved planning blueprints for the city. Councillors passing a motion supporting a moratorium won’t automatically block a new AI data centre application, which will still have to be judged on its individual merits. However, it is a clear sign of the level of concern among councillors, suggesting any plans coming forward are likely to face significant opposition.
What does Kate Forbes think? That we’d be fools not grasp the opportunities presented by AI with both hands. She told business and political leaders gathered at the Futures Institute: “The unprecedented pace at which AI is increasing and evolving presents an enormous opportunity. It has the potential to be genuinely transformative – for every sector of our economy, and for people from all backgrounds and communities.”
Green concerns: Green councillor Alys Mumford, who proposed the moratorium, said: “In the face of the climate and nature emergencies, and the growing understanding of the huge energy and water consumption required by AI, it is right that Edinburgh agrees to have a moratorium on any data centres until we can be reassured that they are more than simply green by name.”
The rub: Central to the dispute is the definition of what constitutes a “green” data centre. Developers bringing forward plans in the Capital have described their proposals as “green”, but there is no agreed guidelines on what is and isn’t acceptable. The Scottish Government’s guidelines on the question are extremely vague. The Action to Protect Rural Scotland campaign group is among those calling on the Scottish Government to publish and consult on meaningful guidelines.
What happens next? Council officials are expected to produce a report by June advising whether or not the local authority has the power to ban AI data centre developments it does not regard as environmentally-friendly. With an election coming up in May, we shouldn’t perhaps expect a fast response from the Scottish Government on the calls for new planning guidelines.
YOUR EDINBURGH BRIEFING
GOLD! Josh Kerr owes a huge debut to his mum Jill after reclaiming his world indoor 3000m title in thrilling fashion in Torun, Poland, on Saturday. The 28-year-old from Edinburgh was on crutches six months ago after tearing a calf muscle. Jill is not only Josh’s mum, but also his physio. Next up for Josh is the home Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. (Read more about Josh and fellow world champion and Edinburgh Athletic Club runner Jake Wightman here: How to forge world champions)
PUFFINS RETURN: The first puffins of the season have been spotted in the Firth of Forth following a difficult winter which saw thousands washing up on coastlines across the UK and Europe. They have been seen near Craigleith island on the Scottish Seabird Centre’s interactive live cameras.
SEASIDE LIFE: Newhaven has been named one of the best places to live in Scotland by The Sunday Times. The arrival of the trams, the harbourside location, “chichi restaurants” including Norah and Edinburgh Sculpture Workshop were all identified as highlights. Linlithgow, described as “family-friendly” came out in the overall top spot in the newspaper’s annual Best Places to Live Guide 2026.
AI ROAD CAMERAS: An AI-powered, high-definition camera capable of detecting when drivers are using mobile pones or not wearing seatbelts has been installed on the A1 near Haddington. The cameras use AI to scan inside vehicles, catching thousands of offences in trials of the new technology, leading to fines of up to £1,000.
PRISON DEATH: A 28-year-old prisoner has died at Saughton Prison the day after making a 999 call from the landline in his cell. His death is the second of a young prisoner in less than a week, following that of a 19-year-old at Polmont Young Offenders Institution in West Lothian. A fatal accident inquiry will be carried out in due course.
DAY OFF? Schools in the Capital could yet get an extra Bank Holiday to celebrate Scotland’s men reaching the World Cup finals. The city council has decided not to offer the holiday to its staff, after calculating it would result in £350,000 in lost productivity and other costs. However, councillors will decide on Thursday whether to ask the Scottish Government for an exemption to the 190-day school year in order to close schools on 15 June.
SETTING SAIL? Forth Ports has been awarded £3 million in UK Government funding to upgrade Border Force and customs infrastructure needed for a new ferry service from Rosyth. The port operator is “actively engaged” in talks with the Danish ferry company DFDS over a new passenger and freight ferry service between Rosyth and Dunkirk.
CYCLIST CRITICALLY INJURED: A 44-year-old cyclist is in a critical condition after his electric mountain bike was involved in a crash with a van in Old Dalkeith Road, Dalkeith, on Friday afternoon. Police are investigating the circumstances surrounding the collision.
STORYTELLING SUPREMO: Daniel Abercrombie (pictured above) has been appointed director of the Scottish International Storytelling Festival, succeeding National Theatre co-founder Donald Smith. Daniel has been behind the development of the successful Fringe programme at the Scottish Storytelling Centre on the Royal Mile in recent years.
HONESTY BAR: The prestigious Renaissance Club at North Berwick wants to open an unstaffed “halfway house” bar in the middle of its golf course. The club, which hosts the Scottish Open, has applied to extend its license to serve alcohol from 9am and at a new bar between its 10th and 11th holes. East Lothian Council officials have raised concerns that the on-course bar would not be staffed in the evenings or during winter months with members able to let themselves in and an “honesty system” in place. Councillors will decide on the application later this week.
FRINGE AWARD: The Fringe has been awarded £500,000 in funding by the Scottish Government. The grant will help support the development of a new website being created to coincide with its 80th anniversary next year.
Pic of the week
THE BUSINESS
Government holiday plan not so fitba’ daft, say business leaders
More than half of business leaders support the Scottish Government’s proposal for a one‑off bank holiday to celebrate the national men’s team’s return to the FIFA World Cup finals this summer.
According to the Understanding Business quarterly survey designed by Edinburgh-based Diffley Partnership, the research and insight consultancy, and communications consultancy Charlotte Street Partners, 55% are in favour of the move to give workers a day off on 15 June with just 20% opposed and the remainder ambivalent.
Councillors in Edinburgh voted to reject the holiday with the capital’s local authority estimating it would cost the city £350,000. However, nearly a third of businesses (31%) anticipate the bank holiday having a positive effect, while one-in-five (19%) foresee a negative impact. Around half (46%) expect no change.
Those in favour of First Minister John Swinney’s proposal say it will boost national morale, improve community cohesion, and support the hospitality and tourism sector.
REFORM PLAN SLATED: The Institute for Fiscal Studies has described Reform’s newly announced flagship policy to cut income taxes in Scotland to 1% below the levels charged south of the border as “not credible.” The leading economic research body maintains the policy will cost £2billion by 2030, at a time when the Scottish budget is already under strain. The plans were a cornerstone of the party’s manifesto launch last week.
ROCKETING: Scotland’s growing space sector continues to make progress. Aurora Avionics has relocated its headquarters and research operations to the Edinburgh Innovation Hub as it continues its upwards trajectory. The move follows a series of major European contract gains, plus fresh investment to accelerate its development of next-generation launch vehicle technology.
THAT’S ENTERTAINMENT
NEW FILM FEST: A new film festival specialising in folk horror and outdoor screenings is coming to Leith next month. Friends in the Furrows is a collaboration between the weekly film club Leith Kino and cinema events organisation Cinetopia. There will be 14 screenings across four days on 23-26 April at venues including Leith Dockers Club, Leith Depot and South Lieth Parish Church Halll. Highlights include an open-air showing of the The Wicker Man in Dock Place.
COSTUME HEAVEN: Founded by Oscar-winning costume designer John Bright in London in 1965, Cosprop is a legend in film film, television and theatre circles. Specialising in period costume, it has dressed everyone from Helena Bonham Carter in A Room with a View and Meryl Streep in Out of Africa to Maggie Smith in Downton Abbey and Colin Firth as Mr Darcy in Pride and Prejudice. You can see stunning costumes, accessories and sketches and learn about the design process when Costume Couture: Sixty Years of Cosprop comes to the Dovecot Studios on 18 July 2026 – 9 January 2027.
BLUE BRAZIL: Deacon Blue’s Ricky Ross will perform live in a new stage show in Edinburgh based on the cult Scottish football book Black Diamonds and the Blue Brazil. Adapted by award-winning playwright Gary McNair from the book by former Kirk Moderator Ron Ferguson about Fife’s Cowdenbeath FC, the play will be staged at the Royal Lyceum on 8-23 May.
QUICK BITES
CAFÉ TAKE-OFF: Costa Coffee has opened its newly expanded store in Edinburgh Airport Arrival Terminal following a £750,000 investment that has seen it double in size with the addition of 60 seats.
PRIZE PIE: Edinburgh-based Signature Group has won itself a slice of glory, after its Outlander Pie was named the UK’s best meat and potato pie at the British Pie Awards. The four-layer pie includes haggis, neep puree, smoked swede skirlie and buttery mash, and smoked butter and toasted oats.