Xlinks is developing a 1.5GW artificial intelligence data campus alongside a 1.8GW battery storage facility spanning roughly 344 hectares near Great Torrington in Devon, an area designated as a Unesco biosphere reserve. Local residents have mobilised against the proposal.
North Devon's Torridge district council privately supported the ambitious datacentre scheme considerably earlier than the public became aware of it, according to reporting by Sandra Laville in the Guardian. Freedom of information disclosures obtained by campaigners revealed that Xlinks had engaged in confidential discussions with the council from March 2025 onwards. The council issued a letter endorsing the proposal in April 2025, preceding any environmental assessment or community engagement process.
When contacted by the Guardian, the council characterised such preliminary discussions as routine practice and maintained that they remain confidential, emphasising that early backing does not constitute formal approval of a scheme.
Xlinks estimates the undertaking will cost up to £13.8bn and generate between 600 and 1,200 permanent positions. The developer has positioned the project as a significant economic opportunity for the region.
Environmental and Local Concerns
Opposition groups highlight multiple environmental and practical objections. These include the conversion of agricultural terrain, the ecological sensitivity of the biosphere reserve designation, anticipated water consumption, operational noise, and potential fire hazards associated with battery installations. The locality remains subject to water restrictions following an exceptionally hot summer, adding urgency to concerns about the facility's water demands.
According to one disclosed document, the installation could require approximately 2.9bn litres of water annually during periods of severe heat and drought. Xlinks countered that this figure derived from an earlier iteration of the design and that the actual campus will employ water recycling systems with supplementation from rainfall collection.
Campaign Response and Government Position
How can the largest and most costly infrastructure proposal in the nation be conducted almost exclusively in secret?
Emily Clark of the Devon Datacentre and BESS action group
A nationwide petition initiated by Devon county councillor Cheryl Cottle-Hunkin has accumulated over 36,000 signatures, calling for a moratorium on datacentre and battery storage developments outside designated government AI growth zones.
The government dismissed this proposal on 17 September, asserting that such undertakings already undergo rigorous planning and environmental review procedures. Officials also noted that battery storage capacity is essential for achieving grid decarbonisation targets by 2030.
Xlinks has committed to developing the campus with consideration for neighbouring communities and natural habitats. The company originally scheduled a public consultation for July but has deferred it to a later date in the year, according to the council.
The Devon controversy reflects broader tensions over datacentre expansion. In the United States, local opposition movements have successfully halted approximately $130bn worth of datacentre and battery projects during the opening quarter of this year.
Source: The Next Web
