\n READ MORE: Darren McGarvey reveals Abertay contact after threat to return doctorate<\/a>\n<\/p>\n \n Residents have been campaigning against Apatura\u2019s plans for a 300 megawatts (MW) facility on around 55 acres of grassland<\/a> next to an industrial estate in the town since they came to light in June.\u00a0\u00a0\n<\/p>\n \n 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.\n<\/p>\n \n 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.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n \n He also asked if the Scottish Government could answer several other questions about the plans, including why it is planned for \u201csuch a highly populated area\u201d and what is the definition of a \u201cgreen data centre\u201d.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n \n However, Rae said the community were left \u201cabsolutely furious\u201d after he was told to stop contacting the First Minister and was told to \u201cbasically shut up and get back in your box\u201d.\n<\/p>\n \n \u201cThe way I’ve been treated and how dismissive it was, it didn’t go down well,\u201d he told The National.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n \n \n 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 \u201cnot be appropriate for Ministers or officials to comment on the merits of any live or prospective planning applications\u201d.\n<\/p>\n \n The letter from the Scottish Government added: \u201cThis means that Ministers or officials are also unable to accept invitations to meet to discuss these matters.\n<\/p>\n \n \u201cWe have provided all possible information on this subject and therefore cannot help any further.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n \n \u201cI 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.\u201d\n<\/p>\n \n 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.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n \n READ MORE: Andy Burnham caught ‘fibbing’ about Scottish investment that doesn’t exist<\/a>\n<\/p>\n \n However, Swinney replied to Rae, saying: \u201cObviously, 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.\u201d\n<\/p>\n \n Host Stephen Jardine interjected, asking the First Minister if he would personally accept Rae\u2019s invite.\n<\/p>\n \n Swinney then replied: \u201cWell, 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.\u201d\n<\/p>\n \n Rae said he was left \u201cabsolutely furious\u201d at the First Minister\u2019s response.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n \n \u201cI couldn’t come back, I was shouting down the phone \u2018let me back on\u2019, \u2018ask him to answer the question\u2019 and they’d obviously muted the mic right down,\u201d he said.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n \n Rae claimed the First Minister just \u201cwaffled on\u201d 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.\n<\/p>\n \n \n \u201cI think he’s actually frightened to communicate with the communities, to be honest,\u201d Rae said.\u00a0\u00a0\n<\/p>\n \n \u201cIt 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.\n<\/p>\n \n \u201cWell meet with the communities, we’re not going to lynch them up.\u201d\u00a0\n<\/p>\n \n He added: \u201cIf 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.\n<\/p>\n \n \u201cLet 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.\u201d\n<\/p>\n \n READ MORE: UK Government refuses to reveal full cost of Britain’s nuclear arsenal<\/a>\n<\/p>\n \n Hazel McQueen, whose house is 20 meters away from the proposed site, said she understands that Swinney is a \u201cvery busy man\u201d who gets lots of requests but added he needs to understand the plans are \u201chuge for Larbert\u201d.\n<\/p>\n \n \u201cIt’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,\u201d she said.\n<\/p>\n \n McQueen, 59, added: \u201cIt’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.\n<\/p>\n \n \u201cWe’re not just Nimby protesters, we have got concerns and he needs to hear them.\u201d\n<\/p>\n \n Joanne Goodall, who moved to Larbert from Edinburgh<\/a> 18 months ago to be closer to her grandchildren, said she has \u201cabsolutely no confidence\u201d that the Scottish Government are listening to anyone other than the companies behind AI data centres.\n<\/p>\nThe proposed site in Larbert (Image: Apatura \/ WSP \/ Falkirk Council)\n<\/p>\n
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