Devon AI Datacentre Plan Sparks Revolt After Secret Council Talks Revealed

Secret Council Backing Fuels Local Opposition

A planned AI datacentre in Devon has ignited fierce local opposition after documents revealed Torridge District Council supported the project more than a year before the public knew about it1

1

. Xlinks, the British developer behind the proposal, had been in private talks with council officials since March 2025, and the council issued a letter of "in-principle support" in April 2025—before any environmental study or public consultation took place2

2

. The north Devon revolt gained momentum when campaigners from the Devon Datacentre and BESS action group used freedom of information requests to uncover the pre-application dealings1

1

.

Emily Clark of the action group questioned the secrecy: "How can the largest and most costly infrastructure proposal in the nation be conducted almost exclusively in secret?"1

1

. The council defended the approach, stating that early talks are standard practice and confidential, and do not constitute approval of any proposal1

1

. However, emails from December 2025 showed officials and developers discussing stakeholder engagement plans and creating links with educational institutions, with one message asking "Who do we all feel it is critical to get onboard?"2

2

.

Massive Scale in Protected Landscape

Xlinks plans to build a 1.5GW AI datacentre campus and a 1.8GW battery storage site on approximately 344 hectares near Great Torrington, located within a Unesco-designated biosphere reserve1

1

. The company estimates the project will cost up to £13.8bn and create 600 to 1,200 permanent jobs1

1

. Freedom of information requests uncovered a detailed site plan showing the two largest buildings would measure 335 metres by 267 metres, each covering approximately nine hectares of ground—large enough to house Exeter Cathedral 18 times over, according to campaigners2

2

.

The 1.5GW AI datacentre campus would be one of the largest in Europe, while the battery energy storage system would involve 1,720 containerised units, dwarfing Britain's current largest operational facility, the 100MW Bramley site in Hampshire2

2

. Xlinks stated that only a third of the land would be developed, with the majority kept open to the public or used for habitat creation to support wildlife2

2

. The company also said five buildings ranging from 50 to 130 feet in height would be constructed, and listed buildings on the site would be relocated and transformed into a visitor centre2

2

.

Water Usage and Environmental Impact Concerns

Local campaigners have raised significant concerns about the environmental impact of the project, particularly water usage in an area still under a hosepipe ban following a record hot summer1

1

. One document revealed that in severe heat and drought conditions, the site could use approximately 2.9bn litres of water annually1

1

. Xlinks disputed this figure, telling the Guardian it came from an old design and that the campus will mainly reuse water and supplement with rainwater1

1

.

Beyond water usage, local opposition centres on the loss of productive farmland, noise pollution, and fire risks associated with the battery energy storage system1

1

. The pastoral landscape of the Unesco biosphere reserve features the winding River Torridge and rolling acres of wooded valley and wildflower meadows2

2

. Residents question why such a massive development would be sited in a protected environment rather than in designated AI growth zones1

1

.

Growing National Movement and Government Response

The Devon campaign has connected with a broader movement against datacentre development. A national petition started by Devon county councillor Cheryl Cottle-Hunkin has surpassed 36,000 signatures, calling for a pause on datacentres and battery sites outside the government's AI growth zones1

1

. The government rejected this proposal on 17 September, stating that such projects already face planning and environmental checks, and that battery storage is essential for cleaning up the power grid by 20301

1

.

A recent public consultation in Great Torrington featured Elizabeth Humphreys from the US campaign group Not in My Valley, who helped achieve a permanent datacentre ban in Coachella, California, over air pollution, water, and energy concerns2

2

. "We're fighting the largest companies that have ever existed in the world, and that is scary but we are all fighting this together," Humphreys said. "This is a global issue; we are all connected. People across the world are standing up and fighting back."2

2

. The fight in Devon follows a wave of datacentre protests in the US, where local groups blocked $130bn of projects in the first three months of this year1

1

. A public consultation originally planned for July has been postponed to later this year, according to the council1

1

.