Second data centre planned for Lanarkshire as regulations tightened
Second data centre planned for Lanarkshire as regulations tightened
Tue, August 18, 2026 at 5:58 AM UTC
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A second data centre is set to be built in North Lanarkshire as part of an ongoing drive to turn the region into a technology hub.
News that tech company DataVita intend to expand their current site in Airdrie and construct a second centre in the area came as the Scottish government tightened regulations on planning permission for the facilities.
Planning authorities will be required to notify Scottish ministers of new data centre applications within seven days of validation if they exceed 50 megawatts (MW) in power capacity.
Scotland is considered an ideal location for data centres due to plentiful renewable energy to power them, but they are controversial in local communities.
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In January plans were revealed to make North Lanarkshire an artificial intelligence "growth zone", with the aim of transforming the area into one of the world's most advanced AI sites.
At the time the UK government claimed it could bring more than £8bn in private investment to the area, accompanied by a new community fund worth about £543m over 15 years.
DataVita has now announced a £300m plan to expand the zone, which will see tech giant Dell Technologies base their Scottish team at Lanarkshire AI Innovation Park.
Those behind the development say it will support more than 3,400 jobs - although this figure includes temporary construction jobs - and create skills and training opportunities to help local people access careers in tech.
Danny Quinn, the managing director at DataVita, said: "This type of investment in Scotland's data centre infrastructure would have been unthinkable just two or three years ago. That is the impact AI is having.
"Scotland has all the right ingredients to take advantage of the AI revolution and make it a core part of its economy."
Hannah Mary Goodlad said there needs to be a balance between the economic gains of data centres and how they impact communities
The spate of planning applications across Scotland has proved a concern for people living near the proposed sites.
BBC Scotland News has previously spoken to residents worried about the noise and damage of construction, and who are fearful of knock-on effects of the centres themselves, particularly the large amounts of energy and water they consume.
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On Monday public finance minister Hannah Mary Goodlad said there needed to be a balance between "the economic and employment interests in developing data centres" with "the potential impact on local communities".
She said this was why planning authorities will be required to notify Scottish ministers of new data centre applications within seven days of validation - but only if they are more than 50 megawatts (MW) in power capacity.
Goodlad said this would support "strategic monitoring" of such planning applications and the implications for wider infrastructure in an area.
However, the new regulations would not affect DataVita's Airdrie site, which has a 12MW capacity.
No data centres currently operational in Scotland have more than 50MW capacity, but the change could affect future sites.
Details on the proposed second site are not yet available.
'A growing community'
The Scottish government's economy secretary Stephen Flynn hailed the new investment in the growth zone.
He said: "The Scottish government's AI Strategy sets out a clear plan to harness the economic and social benefits of AI to help ensure we translate our innovation and expertise into more businesses, jobs and investment.
"We will continue to work closely with DataVita and growth zone partners to realise the full economic and employment opportunities of this investment over the coming years."
The investment includes a £202m guarantee from the National Wealth Fund private investment programme, while the plans will also see Dell move from Glasgow to Lanarkshire.
Steve Young, the company's senior vice president and UK managing director, said it would benefit the company to be part of a "growing community" and let it "strengthen relationships" across the country.
The UK government's AI Minister Kanishka Narayan added: "Today's announcements matter - they will help ensure Scotland is at the forefront of one of the biggest economic opportunities of our time, bringing investment, reindustrialisation and opportunities to communities like Lanarkshire."
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Source: “AOL Money”
