SCOTTISH government assurances that environmental impact assessments would be needed before any new hyperscale data centre can be approved have failed to impress campaigners.

Public Finance Minister Hannah Mary Goodlad made the commitment as MSPs prepared to debate a Scottish Green motion calling for a pause on planning approvals for new centres amid growing concerns over their energy and water consumption.

Ms Goodlad argued that there was a need to “balance the economic and employment interests in developing data centres with national energy, climate and community wealth building ambitions” as well as “the potential impact on local communities.”

“Ensuring that an environmental impact assessment is always part of the application process will create a level playing field for developers and will ensure potentially significant environmental effects are considered from the outset,” she said.

Action to Protect Rural Scotland’s Kat Jones called the move “an important, but limited, first step,” adding: “Without a moratorium the other essential work can’t be done.”

“It was always a total no-brainer that hyperscale data centres should be required to do environmental impact assessments.”

Branding the assurance “a baby-step forward,” Scottish Green MSP Patrick Harvie said: “It’s the bare minimum of what is needed and doesn’t justify opening up our country to a big tech free-for-all.

“Nothing that the government has announced this morning changes the urgent need for a moratorium until we have a national strategy and guidance in place for the councils who are being left to make these decisions in the dark.

“These centres would have huge implications for our environment and our communities, which is why there are local groups all across the country opposing them.”