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Sam Heughan joins opposition to Chapelcross data centre plans
Overview
Actor Sam Heughan has joined the campaign against plans to build a large data centre at the former Chapelcross nuclear site in Dumfries and Galloway. He questioned the economic benefits to southern Scotland, raised concerns about environmental and landscape impacts, and called for a moratorium on such developments. Developers CX Tech argue the project represents a £15.6bn investment that could create hundreds of jobs, while the Scottish government has stated it will publish new national guidelines on data centres by Christmas.
Key points
- Outlander star Sam Heughan has spoken out against plans for a giant data centre at the former Chapelcross nuclear site.
- He questioned the long-term economic value and job creation for southern Scotland, claiming financial benefits would flow back to US tech giants.
- He also expressed concern over the impact on agricultural land, protected grassland, and local wildlife, calling for a pause or moratorium on data centre developments.
- CX Tech Ltd, the developers behind the project, state the scheme represents a £15.6bn investment and could create over 500 full-time operational posts.
- Dumfries and Galloway Council has received a significant volume of public representations regarding the planning application.
- The Scottish government has announced it will publish new national guidelines for data centres by Christmas, with no planning decisions expected before then.