Thursday November 12th 2026
Southside Data Centre
Written by Local Democracy Reporter, Paul Kelly
A developer is promising to slash energy bills for villagers in the Scottish Borders if a huge AI data centre on their doorstep is approved.
A benefits package for communities impacted by controversial proposals for the £2 billion facility was revealed today.
The Southside data centre is earmarked for the Lammermuir Hills near the village of Longformacus in Berwickshire.
Opponents of the project, including the Save the Lammermuirs – Stop the Data Centre group, are urging its rejection amid fears over the “industrialisation of a treasured landscape”.
Meanwhile, almost 50,000 people have signed up to an online petition against the plans.
Now Sunlaws Development Company has unveiled the first proposals for a Local Benefit Plan that would provide direct financial support and new opportunities for communities near the proposed facility.
The plan, which would be delivered if Southside goes ahead, is being developed following feedback from local residents and businesses and will focus initially on three areas: reducing household energy costs; improving access to training and employment, and creating opportunities for local businesses.
An energy support scheme would provide direct assistance to local residents within a fixed distance of the proposed site with their household energy bills.
This could take various forms, including providing a reduced rate on electricity generated from nearby windfarms or financial offset of household bills via a community fund.
The training element of the plan was brought forward by members of the community at the public consultation events held in Longformacus and Westruther in June this year.
The concept is to create a local training hub to better connect local people to opportunities to discover new roles and develop their skills, whether directly and indirectly related to Southside.
The initial public consultation events also highlighted community support for a way to help local businesses access Southside Data Centre’s supply chain during the construction and operation phases of the proposed development.
Local Benefit Plans were cited in the Government’s recent Data Centre Covenant, and Sunlaws Development Company fully supports local communities sharing in the benefits made possible by significant developments of this kind.
The Local Benefit Plan for Southside is at an early stage and is being designed to align with the recently published Lammermuir Community Action Plan 2026 – 2033, created by and for the community.
Formal consultation is now under way, with information days in November and December, where the company will seek views on the full development proposals, as well as the three proposed elements of the Local Benefit Plan.
It also remains open to other ideas that reflect community priorities.
Jaap Röell, Managing Director of Sunlaws Development Company, said: “The right way to design a benefit plan is to start with what local people have asked for.
“That is why we are not announcing a finished plan yet, as community input will be critical to its success.
“What we have now is a solid foundation for a plan that delivers targeted yet substantive shared benefits to our local communities.
“Our upcoming information days are a chance for people to share their views on the plan and how it should be delivered, and we look forward to hearing from them.”
The Local Benefit Plan for the proposed Southside Data Centre builds on the Roxburghe Estate’s long-standing record of community funding through the Fallago Environment Fund, which has donated £2.5 million to 175 projects across the Scottish Borders and the parish of Gifford.
The Southside Data Centre is proposed by Sunlaws Development Company Limited, an entity of Roxburghe Estate, on land at Rawburn in the Lammermuir Hills, Berwickshire, Scottish Borders.
The proposal is for a data centre of up to 225 megawatts in three buildings with a total building footprint of about 9 hectares, sunk up to 20 metres into the hillside behind a landscaped screening mound, with 52 hectares of the site set aside for habitat enhancement.
The design draws its energy primarily and directly from neighbouring renewable generation and uses closed-loop cooling with rain as the primary water source.
Scottish Borders Council confirmed in February 2026 that the proposal requires a full Environmental Impact Assessment. The council’s Scoping Opinion on the assessment was published on 1 September 2026.
Public information days will be held at Westruther Village Hall on Monday 30 November 2026 (12.30pm to 6.45pm) and Longformacus Village Hall on Thursday 3 December 2026 (12.30pm to 7.30pm), with a second round at the same venues in the new year: Longformacus Village Hall on Wednesday 13 January 2027 (12.30pm to 7.30pm) and Westruther Village Hall on Thursday 14 January 2027 (1pm to 6.45pm).
The public events will be drop-in exhibitions, where people can view detailed information on the proposals, put questions directly to members of the project team, and leave written feedback.
To find out more go to https://southsidedc.com/.
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