The plan to build a 200 megawatt hyper-scale data centre over a 70-acre site would open a pandoras box of environmental, social, economic and ethical concerns which are being largely ignored by East Lothian Council (ELC) and SDCL (the proposed joint venture partner).  

The site is located between residential areas of Cockenzie and Prestonpans, but affecting all surrounding communities. This area of East Lothian is historic and pivotal in terms of Scottish history, heritage and culture - from salt panning in the 12th century; the long, rich history of fishing and seafaring; to the present ecological wonders along the coastline. Everything that makes our neighbourhoods special is being threatened by the proposal of this hyper-scale data centre. 

There has been a consistent lack of transparency from ELC over the proposed hyper-scale data centre, with the environmental impacts being a key concern for the local communities. The construction and operation of this hyper scale data centre will likely lead to substantial consumption of water, energy and local resources (including the use of our small local roads during construction). 

Across Scotland, there are over 6000 megawatts worth of data centres being proposed or planned. This energy usage would double Scotland’s peak power demand, all the while energy bills are soaring amidst the ongoing cost of living crisis. The people of Scotland are skint, tired and fed up.

Noise pollution is a concern that has not been addressed by the Council. Data centres are notoriously loud, droning industrial noises and spikes from cooling systems, backup generators and air handlers which create a cacophony of disruption. The evidence base examining the undeniably negative impact to local wildlife (disruption to behaviours; reduced populations; decreasing biodiversity), children’s education (consider the nurseries, secondary schools and after-school clubs in the surrounding area) and public health (increased stress; adverse psychological outcomes; pollutants seeping into air, soil and water).

The data centre will take years to build, as admitted by the Council and SDCL, opening the door for years of disruption and environmental hazards that is brought about by these industrial developments in these suburban and residential areas. Local communities have already experienced years of broken promises, abandoned community-lead projects and disruption with the already existing Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) built on the Cockenzie site. 

SDCL claims the project will provide 800 construction jobs (these will be temporary, externalised and beholden to private contractors with no local guaranteed benefits or requirements), and a measly 140 operational jobs once built - again, benefits that the Council and SDCL call “presumed,” “estimated,” and “potential.” There is no guarantee of these jobs, and since this “employment opportunity” is being used as the single carrot-on-a-stick for the local communities, it comes across as disingenuous, disrespectful and manipulative. Additionally, a jobs website, Adzuna, reported in August 2026 that the number of available graduate jobs has fallen by almost half within the last year, due to employers increasingly favouring AI over employing people, which, as a result, sours all economic and social value ascribed to the implementation of AI technology. With this in mind, the 140 jobs hypothesised by ELC and SDCL is all the more insulting. 

As seen in all community meetings and consultations, the surrounding communities do no what this Data Centre built. It threatens to destroy everything we value about the place we live, while providing only theoretical benefits to locals.
We must band together as a community to oppose this proposed misapplication and debasement that this stretch of land is at risk of. We must demand this area is used for something that will benefit the local community, environment, wildlife and future. 

Your signature can help protect this area from the myriad of unknowns and uncertainties that this monstrous project promises from materialising. Join us in fighting for a better future which champions our communities, wildlife, landscapes and ecology as the East Coast treasures that they are.