‘Not possible’ to stop AI data centre applications, warn city officials
Plus: Capital ranked cleanest city in Scotland and Capital's e-bike scheme ‘most popular in Europe’
Council officials believe a moratorium on AI data centre applications will be ‘unenforcable’
A proposed moratorium on applications to build AI data centres in Edinburgh would be impossible to enforce, city officials have warned councillors.
Councillors asked local authority officials to investigate the practicalities of blocking new applications to build data centres amid growing concerns about their ‘green’ credentials.
Now Gareth Barwell, the council’s corporate director of place, has advised any attempt to stop applications is “not possible” to enforce, with developers able to appeal over the heads of the local authority to the Scottish Government.
The Scottish and UK governments are actively trying to attract investment in ‘green’ data centres to support ambitions for the UK to be an “AI superpower”, with Edinburgh playing a central role. However, the Scottish Government’s refusal to provide a definition of what makes a data centre ‘green’ has fuelled concerns about their environmental impact.
Councillors will debate Barwell’s advice at a meeting of the local authority’s planning committee on Wednesday.
What are ‘green’ data centres? Good question. Data centres are vast warehouses housing the servers needed for streaming, social media and AI. There is a push to significantly expand the UK’s network to support an anticipated explosion in demand due to the expansion of AI. The ‘green’ bit is less clear. The Scottish Government acknowledges their environmental credentials can vary significantly depending on factors such as whether they “use renewable energy sources; make use of energy efficient technologies; seek to minimise water consumption; and support the re-use of excess heat”.
Does this mean we’ll be hit with a flood of data centre applications? Nope. These rules apply to a tiny number of proposals in the city, but their vast scale is one of the reasons there is so much concern. The two which have been proposed for Edinburgh would be giant warehouses on the edge of the city, with a combined demand for more than 400 MW, enough to power more than a million households.
What is planned in the city? The only application currently active is for 24 hectares of land next to Heriot-Watt University's Riccarton campus on the west of the city. Developer Apatura is behind a series of similar plans across the UK, including at West Calder, in West Lothian. However, Shelborn Asset Management is widely expected to appeal againt the refusal of its plans for a similar facility at South Gyle in February. Councillors voted to throw out its applicatiaon, against the advice of planning officials, over environmental concerns.
What can the council do? Councillors must judge planning applications on their merits against guidelines laid down by the Scottish Government or risk having decisions overturned on appeal. In practice, that means they can still refuse data centre plans on environmental grounds, but the level to which Scottish Government planning reporters would back them up is unclear.
What happens next? Councillors will debate the advice from their officials at a planning committee meeting on Wednesday. They are thought likely to accept a moratorium is unenforceable, but discuss whether the council can draw up its own criteria for what makes a data centre ‘green’. That could help councillors enforce higher environmental standards on future applications. However, city officials are advising against this, saying it would be time-consuming and may be ineffective. They point out any developer refused permission can appeal to the Scottish Government who is under no obligation to follow rules set by the council.
The Greens say: Greens councillor Alys Mumford, who proposed the temporary moratorium until the Scottish Government provided guidelines, told The Herald: “We think it is absolutely right that the council does everything within it’s powers to question the assumption that any positives data centres may bring would outweigh the growing list of negatives.”
YOUR EDINBURGH BRIEFING
DEAR CLEAN PLACE: Edinburgh has overtaken Glasgow to be rated the cleanest of Scotland’s cities, according to the latest council-by-council data. Streets in the Capital received a 92.8 per cent clean rating under the Local Environmental and Management System (LEAMS) used to judge local authority performance. That’s 10 per centage points ahead of both Glasgow’s current rating and Edinburgh’s own performance five years ago.
CYCLE OF SUCCESS: The city’s Voi e-bike hire scheme is the company’s most popular in Europe, based on the number of trips made per bike per day. Around 53,500 users have made nearly 550,000 tips on the more than 200 bikes now active on the city’s streets. The scheme is set to expand again before the Festivals in August, to Portobello, Cramond, Gorgie and Dalry.
TAXI HQ TO APARTHOTEL: The Capital Cars offices on Gorgie Road are to be demolished to make way for a £7.5 million aparthotel. SDR Property has secured planning permission to build a 23-unit aparthotel on the site, featuring a mixture of studios and 1 and 2-bedroom apartments, alongside a reception area.
LUXURY LET: The owner of the upmarket Archerfield golf and holiday complex in East Lothian is looking to convert an office on Charlotte Square into a luxury holiday let, Kevin Doyle, whose company Caledonian Heritable owns dozens of pubs including The Dome, has applied for planning permission to turn the townhouse into a four-bedroom property, complete with wine cellar and cigar room. The neighbours would include First Minister John Swinney at his official residence Bute House.
MCINNES AWAY: Hearts are looking for a new manager after Derek McInnes followed captain and top scorer Lawrence Shankland in agreeing a deal with Rangers. The twin loss will be the first major test of the club’s new data-driven approach under the direction of major investor and Brighton FC owner Tony Bloom.
KING’S HONOURS: The former Keeper of the National Library of Scotland Dr Ann Matheson (CBE); Debbie-Anne Henderson, yard manager at Tower Farm Riding School, in Liberton, and adaptive cycling promoter Roy Michael Thomas (both MBEs) were among those from Edinburgh recognised in the King’s Birthday Honours. The Scotsman has published a full list of local recipients.
CRASH ARREST: Two teenagers were treated in hospital after a car crashed into an empty commercial unit on Crewe Road North at West Granton Road in the early hours of Thursday morning. The 17-year-old passenger in the black Fiat 500 was arrested on suspicion of theft.
Pic of the week
THE BUSINESS
Campaign to shop local - and boost the economy
Scotland Loves Local Week – which promotes support for local businesses amongst the public – is urging people to boost Scotland’s economy by more than £280 million.
Research for the Scottish Towns Partnership - the organisers of the Week – say it could be achieved if everyone spent just £1 extra a week with local shops and businesses.
The campaign was launched by STV weatherman Sean Batty in the East Lothian town of North Berwick, where he joined food and drink producers from across the county at the monthly North Berwick Harbour Market.
‘Where you spend matters’: STP Chairman Professor Leigh Sparks said: “Where, and with which businesses, people choose to spend their money really matters. These are decisions which make a critical difference to Scotland’s local and national economies.
“Every single person in Scotland can contribute to making the country stronger, fairer and wealthier by supporting their local businesses more often. Local businesses spend more of their money in other local businesses, strengthening relationships, communities and economies. Thinking local first is a simple step which makes a tremendous difference.
“Scotland is home to an incredible range of local businesses – from unique independent shops and producers to breathtaking visitor attractions. Every penny spent with them supports local jobs and is a vital investment in the future of our communities.
“Localism lies at the heart of growing Scotland’s national economy.”
IT’S A BEAUTY: Global beauty store Sephora is to open its first Scottish outlet at Edinburgh’s St James Quarter next month. The store is due to open its doors on Thursday, 9 July. Anne Ledgerwood, estate director of St James Quarter, described Sephora as “an iconic global beauty brand” and said the opening reflected the centre’s position as “the country’s leading retail destination.”
FIT FOR GROWTH: Fitness equipment specialist Pinnacle Fitness is expanding from its base in Edinburgh into Fife. The firm has opened a new 32,000 sq ft headquarters and remanufacturing plant in Dalgety Bay, giving the business significantly more capacity to scale operations as customer demand continues to rise across the UK.
NEXT GEN HELP: Heriot-Watt has appointed Gemma Stuart, founder of health start-up Gut Wealth, and Jessica Mullen, an exited founder and angel investor, have joined the university as Entrepreneurs in Residence to help scale the next generation of Scottish start-ups and strengthen links between academia, industry and investors.
THAT’S ENTERTAINMENT
TAKE PRIDE: March from the parliament to Bristo Square, dance to Cher Lloyd, shop at the Queer Creatives Market - take your pick as Pride Edinburgh bursts into life from noon on Saturday.
WATER TREAT: The Capital’s canal comes to life on Saturday with the return of the Edinburgh Canal Festival and Raft Race. There’s live music, family activities and action on the water at Lochrin Basin, Leamington Lift Bridge, Fountainbridge Green and Harrison Park from 11am to 4pm.
HIGHLAND SHOW: The Royal Highland Show returns to the Ingliston showground from Thursday until Sunday. Expect highland cattle, food and drink and big queues.
BRASSED UP: The Brass Blast street band celebrate 10 years of making irresistible music with a mini-festival at Portobello Town Hall on Saturday. Brassed Up features a line-up including Samson Sounds, the Golden Grooves Street Collective and Oi Musica, from 5pm to 10pm.
QUICK BITES
FLAT GROWTH: Toscano, known for its Tuscan schiacciata (flatbread) sandwiches, has launched a new city centre outlet on Blair Street following its successful first year in Bruntsfield. The owners hope to open several more city sites this year.
Buon Appetito: Bonnie & Wild, the ground-breaking food hall at Edinburg St James, is now home to one of Glasgow’s iconic eateries. Restaurant and deli Eusebi has opened a bakery counter selling its range of renowned desserts and pastries – including its signature strawberry tart.
Another local MBE award went to the St.Andrew Boat Club member, Samantha Gough. You would do well to have a conversation with her at some stage as she is also the England Women's blind football team captain.. Scotland doesn't have a team so she competes globally with them.
She also recaptured the Grosvenor Cup for PR3 Single Sculls at Women's Henley at the weekend past.