Edinburgh Council
Local planning authority for the City of Edinburgh.
Edinburgh Council is the City of Edinburgh's planning authority. It refused a 212.42 MW data centre scheme in February 2026, and its own view that no environmental assessment was needed did not survive the appeal that followed.
Last refreshed: 14 August 2026 · Appears in 1 active topic
Why did Edinburgh Council's data centre refusal end up needing a full environmental assessment anyway?
Timeline for Edinburgh Council
Refused planning permission in principle for the 212.42 MW scheme
Data Centres: Boom and Backlash: 212 MW Edinburgh appeal now needs an EIABackground
Edinburgh Council is the planning authority for the City of Edinburgh. On 9 February 2026 it refused planning permission in principle for a 212.42 MW data centre scheme proposed by Shelborn Drummond Ltd, a decision it reached under its own delegated planning powers.
Ahead of that refusal, the council had also formed its own screening opinion that the scheme did not need a full environmental impact assessment. Shelborn Drummond appealed the refusal to the Scottish Government in March 2026, and in July a third party asked for that separate screening opinion to be reconsidered.
The council's screening view did not stand: the case now proceeds with a full assessment attached, and a decision on the underlying refusal is expected by 8 September 2026, so the council's original call remains under challenge rather than settled.