# Scottish police expect ‘great deal of public opposition’ to planned Larbert datacentre

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/scottish-police-expect-great-deal-of-public-opposition-to-planned-larbert-datacentre/
- Published: 2026-08-14T16:05:31+00:00
- Updated: 2026-08-14T16:33:57+00:00
- Original publisher: The Guardian (publisher lean: Left)
- Original article: https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026/aug/14/scottish-police-expect-public-opposition-larbert-datacentre
- Topics: Technology, UK, World

## Key points

- Police expect substantial opposition to Larbert’s proposed datacentre.
- Nearly 7,000 objections cite health, noise and environmental concerns.
- Scotland’s datacentre expansion could strain power and AI policy.

## Summary

Scottish police have warned that a proposed datacentre in Larbert is likely to face significant public opposition and may need strong security measures to prevent disruptive incursions. The warning is an early official sign of wider unease over the rapid growth of datacentre proposals in Scotland, which could complicate UK plans to expand AI infrastructure.

Almost 7,000 objections have been lodged against the Larbert scheme, and campaigners said more than 100 people attended a local protest. Residents and environmental groups are concerned about its scale, including 200 proposed diesel backup generators near a terminally ill care home and a large hospital; across Scotland, at least 23 hyperscale projects are in planning, with combined projected electricity demand exceeding 1.5 times Scotland’s peak use.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.