A letter seen by The National to the group from the Scottish Government said: “I would like to request that you stop corresponding with us on the subject of data centre development as we cannot provide any more information than has been set out in this letter.”

Campaigners have said they have been left feeling “extremely pissed off” as they feel they have been told to “basically shut up and get back in your box”.

The row comes after residents in Larbert asked the First Minister John Swinney to visit the site for a proposed hyperscale AI data centre.

READ MORE: Darren McGarvey reveals Abertay contact after threat to return doctorate

Residents have been campaigning against Apatura’s plans for a 300 megawatts (MW) facility on around 55 acres of grassland next to an industrial estate in the town since they came to light in June.  

If approved, the facility, which is metres away from a care home, a primary school, a hospital and houses, would have its own electricity substation, as well as 200 industrial-scale diesel generators to provide back-up in case of a power failure or a lack of electricity.

John Rae, who has lived his whole life in Larbert and is some 600 metres from the proposed site, first wrote to Swinney on behalf of local campaigners in August to invite Swinney and other local officials to meet with them. 

He also asked if the Scottish Government could answer several other questions about the plans, including why it is planned for “such a highly populated area” and what is the definition of a “green data centre”. 

However, Rae said the community were left “absolutely furious” after he was told to stop contacting the First Minister and was told to “basically shut up and get back in your box”.

“The way I’ve been treated and how dismissive it was, it didn’t go down well,” he told The National. 

The proposed site in Larbert (Image: Apatura / WSP / Falkirk Council)

Rae explained he had sent a total of four letters to the Scottish Government but has been unhappy with the replies from officials, as they told him it would “not be appropriate for Ministers or officials to comment on the merits of any live or prospective planning applications”.

The letter from the Scottish Government added: “This means that Ministers or officials are also unable to accept invitations to meet to discuss these matters.

“We have provided all possible information on this subject and therefore cannot help any further. 

“I would like to request that you stop corresponding with us on the subject of data centre development as we cannot provide any more information than has been set out in this letter.”

Rae had the chance to ask the First Minister directly if he would visit the Larbert site during a phone-in section on BBC Radio Scotland on October 15. 

READ MORE: Andy Burnham caught ‘fibbing’ about Scottish investment that doesn’t exist

However, Swinney replied to Rae, saying: “Obviously, you’ll appreciate there’s many, many issues I get asked to look at, so I’m sorry that I’ve not been able to come to Larbert to see the site for myself, but, obviously, my ministers are very close to this issue.”

Host Stephen Jardine interjected, asking the First Minister if he would personally accept Rae’s invite.

Swinney then replied: “Well, I understand that my ministers are working very closely on this, but there’s many, many calls on my time, Stephen. I try my best to do as much as I possibly can.”

Rae said he was left “absolutely furious” at the First Minister’s response. 

“I couldn’t come back, I was shouting down the phone ‘let me back on’, ‘ask him to answer the question’ and they’d obviously muted the mic right down,” he said. 

Rae claimed the First Minister just “waffled on” and that he felt like when Jeremy Paxman famously asked Conservative MP Michael Howard the same yes-or-no question over 10 times during a BBC Newsnight interview in 1997.

“I think he’s actually frightened to communicate with the communities, to be honest,” Rae said.  

“It just seems like it’s an unfair playing field, that he’s prepared to meet with the developers. He keeps saying that he is looking after the people of Scotland and their interests.

“Well meet with the communities, we’re not going to lynch them up.” 

He added: “If half a dozen delegates could meet with us, we would take them to see the site, and would give them feedback and reviews of the community and how its proposed impact will have on us.

“Let them see how close it will be in proximity to the hospital, to a nursery, and a primary school. And just ask them why here.”

READ MORE: UK Government refuses to reveal full cost of Britain’s nuclear arsenal

Hazel McQueen, whose house is 20 meters away from the proposed site, said she understands that Swinney is a “very busy man” who gets lots of requests but added he needs to understand the plans are “huge for Larbert”.

“It’s going to dominate the area, and I think he needs to come and see it for himself and see how close the homes are, how close the hospital is,” she said.

McQueen, 59, added: “It’s going to loom over us, and I think he needs to understand, if he were living in Larbert, how it would affect him as well.

“We’re not just Nimby protesters, we have got concerns and he needs to hear them.”

Joanne Goodall, who moved to Larbert from Edinburgh 18 months ago to be closer to her grandchildren, said she has “absolutely no confidence” that the Scottish Government are listening to anyone other than the companies behind AI data centres.

“I’m usually supportive of the SNP, but I just think they’ve completely lost their way here with regard to data centres,” she said.

First Minister of Scotland John Swinney, delivers his keynote speech at the SNP annual conference at the Event Complex Aberdeen (TECA). Picture date: Monday October 13, 2025..

“It’s really disappointing that John Swinney, or indeed any government minister, hasn’t been to Larbert to see the site.”

Goodall, whose house would directly look out to the data centre if it is built, said she would urge Swinney to “do the right thing” and listen to the community.

“The Government keeps saying ‘we will definitely be consulting communities’, but as a community we’ve not heard diddly squat from the government.”

The 58-year-old added: “It’s that sort of thing that then erodes your trust in anything that they say.”

Rae also warned that if the Larbert data centre goes ahead, it could lead to the “downfall of the SNP in Scotland”.

“This will lose them so much support because the amount of people in the Facebook group and friends that I know who voted SNP all their lives have said, if this goes ahead, they will never vote for the SNP again, just from this one policy,” he said. 

“This could be the death knell of the SNP in Scotland, and I really don’t think they are grasping how strong the people’s emotions are about this.”

A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “It is not appropriate for Ministers to discuss the merits of live or prospective planning applications.

“Ministers will publish national guidance on data centres before Christmas.”