A proposed data centre in Auchtertool, Fife, would dwarf the small village and its roughly 200 homes, with the development covering an area larger than 100 football pitches.
The Cato project, planned for land at Camilla Farm, is being put forward by Scottish infrastructure developer ILI Group as a 600MW hyperscale data centre campus.
Plans submitted to Fife Council seek permission in principle for data halls, gatehouses, electricity substations, plant, access roads, parking, drainage and landscaping. The site is currently farmland close to the village.
ILI has described Cato as the flagship of a proposed network of Scottish data centres, with the project expected to be delivered in phases. The company has said the development would bring major investment and support jobs in the region.
However, the scale of the proposal has prompted concern among residents and community representatives, who fear the industrial campus would dominate Auchtertool and damage the surrounding landscape and wildlife.
Andrea Cail, chair of Auchtertool Community Council, told Data Centre Dynamics that the group was “dismayed” by plans to place a 600MW facility “right on the edge of our small village”.
She said the buildings and associated infrastructure would occupy land “more extensive than the village itself”.
Auchtertool data centre plan faces further environmental scrutiny
The planning process has now been delayed after Scottish Ministers directed that a full environmental impact assessment must be carried out.
Fife Council said the applicant would have to submit the assessment before a further period of public consultation could take place. The council had previously considered that an assessment was not required.
The Scottish Government has also introduced a direction requiring planning authorities to notify ministers of data centre applications with a power capacity of more than 50MW. The Auchtertool proposal, at 600MW, falls within that category.
No decision has been taken on the planning application. The assessment and subsequent consultation will have to be completed before the proposal can be considered further.
