06/07/2026
👇 as a business and local homeowner this proposal is very concerning 👇
LARBERT AI DATACENTRE
A planning application has been submitted to Falkirk Council by APATURA. The proposed development will be around the size of 35 football pitches. The proposed site is next to Glenbervie Care Home
What this means for the local community
- Air quality and diesel emissions – it will emit more air pollution than major industrial sites, ranking within the top 10 polluters in Scotland. The hazardous pollutants emitted are associated with increased rates of respiratory diseases, cardiovascular conditions, and elevating cancer risk in nearby communities
- Noise pollution – massive cooling systems and long wavelength infrasonic noise will result in constant noise disruption
- Hospital and proximity hazards – increased traffic potentially severely impeding emergency response times. The planned build will take 2 years creating significant conjestion to the roads surrounding the proposed site
- Energy demand – the data centre will require massive amounts of electricity which raises fears of local energy price spikes and grid strain. Water pressure is likely to decrease considerably for local residents due to the Datacentre’s massive water consumption
- Environmental impact – the colossal thermal exhaust from AI liquid cooling could caused localised heat island effect, raising temperatures by up to 9 degrees, impacting areas up to 6 miles away
- Reports from similar sites elsewhere suggest that local house prices are negatively impacted as well as a reduction in further new builds in the immediate vicinity
Misinformation
-AI datacentres do not create many additional local jobs – they require a small amount of operational staff, with all other work being remote and outsourced. A typical datacentre employs approximately 30 people
- the building of the datacentre will require a significant specialised workforce, and is likely to be undertaken by companies out with Larbert.
-little is known about long term health outcomes in data centre host communities. Study findings from American host communities suggest numerous negative health impacts
-any additional money from business rates will go straight to the Scottish Government for redistribution to councils, it will not be earmarked for the local area
Opposing an AI datacentre in Larbert does not mean that we don’t embrace progress. It means that we are questioning the impact that this massive development will have on the community on its doorstep. The proposal to site the datacentre next to a heavily populated community has nothing to do with bringing benefits to the community. The evidence from similar sites elsewhere demonstrates a significant negative impact. In a country with ample brown field sites, why would these not be considered?