New notification direction issued for data centres over 50MW

A new Scottish Government Direction came into force on 17 August 2026, requiring planning authorities to notify Scottish Ministers of planning applications for proposed new data centres where the proposed power capacity exceeds 50MW.

The Direction applies to both new applications and applications currently being considered. Planning authorities must notify Scottish Ministers within seven days of the application’s validation date and provide a copy of the planning application, accompanying plans and associated documentation, together with any EIA report or, where no EIA report has been prepared, any screening opinion.

The Direction is intended to support strategic oversight and monitoring of the pipeline of data centre applications in Scotland, including their wider infrastructure implications, and will enable the Scottish Ministers to consider whether to call in such applications for determination.