Planning authorities will have to alert Scottish Ministers within seven days of validating new data centre applications, under a move aimed at harnessing opportunities from the expanding sector.

The direction, issued by Public Finance Minister Hannah Mary Goodlad, applies to developments with a power capacity above 50 megawatts (MW). It is intended to strengthen strategic monitoring of the pipeline of proposals and their implications for wider infrastructure.

Ms Goodlad has also recalled a planning appeal for ministerial determination concerning a proposed green data centre in Edinburgh, and has issued directions requiring Environmental Impact Assessments at sites in Fife and Edinburgh.

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She said: "Data centres is a rapidly emerging sector, and planning has an important role to play in considering applications, harnessing economic opportunities, and finding solutions which align with our climate goals.

"We must balance the economic and employment interests in developing data centres with national energy, climate and community wealth building ambitions, which are vital to our future prosperity, as well as the potential impact on local communities.

"It is essential to secure public benefits from this type of development, and I am clear that voices of communities that will be affected will be central to any considerations on data centres."

Further details are set out in The Town and Country Planning (Notification of Applications) (Data Centres exceeding 50MW Power Capacity) (Scotland) Direction 2026, alongside EIA screening decisions for the Wester Hermiston Data Centre Campus proposal in Edinburgh and for Auchtertool, Fife, and the recall of an appeal at Redheughs Avenue, Edinburgh.

When an appeal is recalled, Ministers rather than an appointed Reporter make the final decision. A Reporter examines the case and provides a report and recommendation for Ministers to consider before determining the outcome.