Residents in the tiny Scottish village of Auchtertool have launched a campaign against plans to build the world's second largest data centre right next to their homes.
The proposed development in Fife would dwarf the village of around 200 houses and cover an area larger than 100 football pitches. Opponents say the complex would produce the heat of 600,000 electric one-bar heaters, with suggestions that local temperatures could soar unnaturally by nine degrees.
More than 1,600 objections have already been collected, with protest banners displayed on house walls, in the village park, and on cars.
The facility would store, process, and run large amounts of data and software that power the internet. Scotland is considered an ideal location for such hubs because of its abundant supply of renewable energy to power them.
Furious locals are planning to protest outside the Scottish Parliament at Holyrood on September 3. They will join residents from Larbert, including singer Susan Boyle, who are fighting a similar proposal on their own doorstep.
Fears over heat, noise, and flooding
Data centres are large facilities housing computer servers and networking equipment that process and store digital information for internet services. Auchtertool is a small rural village in Fife, located in east-central Scotland.
Local residents claim infrared noise from the site will affect humans and animals unable to cope with the frequency it emits, while others have expressed strong concerns over potential flood risks. Similar data centre complexes in Nevada have caused serious local environmental impacts, with one horse trainer claiming all of their foals have been stillborn since installation.
Fiona Stewart, 53, who lives at Wilmar Cottage in Auchtertool facing the bottom field of the site, said she was horrified when she saw the plans.
"When I saw the scale and size of the planned data centre I was horrified," Stewart said. "It's bigger than the village and right next to it. I'm not against data centres necessarily, and understand that we might need them, but don't know how you can ever justify putting them in a site next to a tiny village."
Stewart added that she is worried about light pollution, noise, and flooding on land that already floods during heavy rain. "We're calling on the First Minister to just pause this, and take a look at the plan and the framework, and make sure that these are regulated properly, because at the moment the framework's not there," she said.
Scottish Government orders full impact assessment
Developers ILI Group have held information sessions for locals over past weeks, arguing the development will create hundreds of jobs. Andrea Cail, who chairs the local community council, said residents first became aware of the plans around March 2025.
Cail said locals were concerned by the sheer size of the buildings and site on agricultural land at the top end of the village. She noted that while residents initially knew little about data centres, they realized the 24/7 facility would require huge amounts of electricity and water, while radiating heat and making significant noise.
"The noise is a big one, because it's not just the noise we can hear," Cail said. "It's infrared sound. The unknown quantity is the thing that's more scary just now." She added that land around data centres warms up from radiated heat based on reports from the United States.
According to Cail, Fife Council was initially asked to screen the project for an environmental impact assessment but determined one was not mandatory under existing regulations. However, the Scottish Government recently decreed that a full environmental impact assessment must be conducted on the planning application.
Cail expressed frustration with the process but said she was cheered by the government intervention. She explained that developers chose the location because of its strong grid connections to supply the necessary electricity.
Building height and property value concerns
Clare Williams, 51, a foster carer who has lived in the village for nine years, has erected a protest banner outside her home. She reported that developers told an earlier public meeting the building would be 25 to 30 metres high, before later admitting it would be closer to 30 to 35 metres.
Williams said she was deeply concerned about noise pollution and heat, noting the 600-megawatt output equalled 600,000 fire heaters. "I've done the party life and I chose to live here for the quiet life," she said. "We are in the countryside. And it's quiet. My mum comes here and when she sits in the garden, she loves it. It's just so peaceful and serene and you can sit outside and just hear the birds, but our peace is being threatened."
She warned that local residents could lose hundreds of thousands of pounds on property values and would be unable to sell their homes. "It's not like I'm anti-AI and I'm not anti-data centres," Williams added. "But how many do we need? Do we need to have them on people's doorsteps? The developers need to leave us alone. Our message is clear: Please reconsider and look at alternatives."
Impact on showjumping horses and livestock
Russell and Adele Seeth live at Glenniston Farm Cottage right next to where the proposed site begins on the hill. Russell Seeth, who has lived there for 23 years, said they were omitted from developer correspondence because their farm is on the boundary line.
The area around their property already has wind turbines, battery storage units, and 98,000 solar panels positioned ten metres from their fence line. While they did not object to the solar panels, Russell Seeth said seeing the data centre plan was shocking.
Adele Seeth noted that Nevada hosts the world's largest data centre and questioned why the second largest should be placed in Auchtertool when other locations exist. The couple keep three horses and four dogs, with their daughters training for British showjumping on high-performance, flight-sensitive horses.
Russell Seeth warned that the 24/7 low-frequency hum from massive industrial cooling fans and sudden testing of emergency diesel backup generators present a severe physical and psychological threat of acoustic shock to the horses. Adele Seeth added that British Horse Society guidance recommends an acceptable distance of five miles for such facilities, whereas their horses sleep just 270 metres from the proposed site.
She also highlighted the predicted nine-degree temperature rise within a half-mile radius, stating that residents will never see snow or ice again and warning that her daughters' training arena and lifestyle will be severely disrupted.
Developer promises environmental scrutiny and jobs
Mark Wilson, chief executive officer of ILI Group, said the developer understands local feelings and takes community concerns seriously. He noted that the project, named Cato, is subject to the planning process and has been supported by detailed technical assessments covering noise, air quality, water, landscape, and ecology.
Wilson stated that noise assessments show the project can operate within acceptable limits, and welcomed the Scottish Government's request for a full environmental impact assessment to examine potential impacts further.
He emphasized that Cato is designed to meet current environmental standards, stating that comparisons with developments elsewhere in the world do not necessarily reflect the design or regulatory requirements in Scotland. Wilson added that built structures will occupy only a small part of the wider site, with the majority remaining undeveloped alongside new woodland, wetland, and meadow habitats.
If approved, Cato would represent a significant investment in Fife. Independent analysis by BiGGAR Economics estimates the project could support around 1,450 job-years during construction, roughly 262 jobs in Fife once operational, and around 120 permanent on-site roles. Wilson committed to continuing constructive engagement with the local community as the environmental assessment moves forward.
