1 Redheughs Avenue data centre, South Gyle
Planning permission in principle (25/04239/PPP) sought by Shelborn Drummond Ltd was refused by the City of Edinburgh Council's planning sub-committee in February 2026, against officer recommendation, and is now under appeal (DPEA ref PPA-230-2794). Capacity has been reported variously as 210 MW, 212 MW, 212.42 MW and 213 MW; the measure is not stated, so the figure is excluded from every capacity total.
Key facts
- Operator / developer
- Shelborn Drummond Ltd
- Location
- 1 Redheughs Avenue, Edinburgh, EH12 9RH, Scotland, United Kingdom
- Status
- Refused
- Facility type
- Data centre
- AI relevance
- Not stated
Power & grid
- Published capacity
- 212.42 MW — Reported capacity, definition not publishedA megawatt figure was reported but the source does not define what it measures, so it is excluded from every total.
- Power
- Press coverage of the application reports a 212.42 MW scheme. No retrieved source states whether this is IT load, grid connection capacity or total electrical demand, so it is excluded from every total. Edinburgh councillors refused the application in February 2026 against officer advice; the applicant appealed to the DPEA (PPA-230-2794) and no appeal decision had been published at the time of this review, with a full environmental impact assessment directed on 30 July 2026.
- Heat reuse
- Developer proposed supplying waste heat to homes and offices at Edinburgh Park; councillors judged near-term heat reuse unrealistic.
Planning
- Council
- City of Edinburgh Council
- Planning route
- Local planning (TCPA)
- Planning reference
- PPA-230-2794 (appeal)
- Planning decision
- Refused by City of Edinburgh Council (committee 4 February 2026; decision dated 9 February 2026); appeal lodged with the DPEA on 31 March 2026 and recalled by Scottish Ministers on 17 August 2026. The DPEA lists the case as on hold.
- Decision date
- 9 February 2026
- Appeal status
- Appeal lodged
- Refusal reasons
- Design, Visual and landscape impact, Water, Other
- Green belt
- No
Benefits vs drawbacks
Benefits
Drawbacks
- Refused: out of step with Edinburgh Park's move to mixed use; did not meet green data centre criteria (renewables, cooling, no Scottish Water pre-engagement)Source
- Scale judged unacceptably dominant on the skyline; about 25% of site trees removedSource
- Campaigners objected to rows of diesel backup generatorsSource
New public park with sports facilities and active travel routes proposed.
Timeline
City of Edinburgh Council Development Management Sub-Committee refused the application, against officers' recommendation.
SourceShelborn Drummond lodged an appeal with the DPEA (PPA-230-2794).
SourceThe DPEA issued an environmental impact assessment screening direction for the appeal.
SourceThe appellant's agent confirmed that an EIA Report will be submitted. The DPEA lists the case as on hold.
SourceScottish Ministers recalled the appeal; it is now being decided by Ministers rather than the reporter.
Source
Reality Score
Sources
- Case PPA-230-2794, 1 Redheughs Avenue, Edinburgh
Primary record · Scottish Government, Planning and Environmental Appeals Division · accessed 2026-08-12
- South Gyle data centre
Secondary source · Association for the Protection of Rural Scotland
- Edinburgh council rejects green data centre plan for former RBS HQ site
Secondary source · Data Centre Review (secondary) · February 2026
- Edinburgh councillors pull the plug on green AI datacenter
Secondary source · The Register (secondary) · 10 February 2026
Last verified
27 September 2026
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