The North Devon Uprising: Residents Resist a Massive AI Datacentre

• Xlinks has secured approximately 344 hectares (850 acres) in north Devon for a 1.5GW AI datacentre and a 1.8GW battery energy storage system (BESS).
• Local campaigners have utilized freedom of information requests to uncover evidence of secret pre-application discussions between the developer and council officials dating back to March 2025.
• The proposed site plan includes two massive buildings, each covering roughly nine hectares, with heights ranging from 50 to 130 feet.
• A petition launched by Devon county council cabinet member Cheryl Cottle-Hunkin has gathered 30,000 signatures calling for a pause on datacentre plans outside designated AI growth zones.
• Critics cite concerns regarding water usage, toxic PFAS runoff, noise pollution, and the industrialization of a globally protected ecological area.

Xlinks, a British company, has selected the countryside within the biosphere to host this massive infrastructure project. The plan includes a 1.5GW AI datacentre, one of the largest in Europe, alongside a substantial 1.8GW battery energy storage system. The developer has secured about 344 hectares (850 acres) for the campus, which will feature five large buildings ranging in height from 50 to 130 feet. Xlinks states that listed buildings on the site will be relocated and converted into a visitor centre.

The physical footprint of the project is immense. Documents revealed during the planning process indicate that the two largest structures would measure 335 metres by 267 metres, covering approximately nine hectares (22 acres) each. Campaigners note that these individual buildings are large enough to house Exeter Cathedral 18 times over. While Xlinks asserts that only one-third of the 344-hectare site will be developed, with the remainder dedicated to public access and wildlife habitat creation, the scale remains a primary point of contention.

The battery component involves 1,720 containerised units. This capacity dwarfs the largest operational BESS in Britain, such as the 100MW Bramley facility in Hampshire. The UK government estimates that 23-27GW of battery capacity is required by 2030 to balance electricity supply and demand amidst increasing wind and solar generation. However, research by the House of Commons Library indicates that the government lacks data on the projected land use for this expansion, has no specific location policies for BESS facilities, and cannot provide a definitive estimate of current operational capacity.

The proposal was first announced to the public this summer, with Xlinks calling for a collaborative approach. However, local residents formed the Devon Datacentre and BESS action group and adopted tactics used by veteran campaigners like Erin Brockovich, who helped secure a permanent datacentre ban in Coachella, California, due to environmental concerns.

Through freedom of information (FoI) applications, activists uncovered that Xlinks had been in closed discussions with council officials since March 2025. In April, Torridge district council issued a letter of “in-principle support” before any environmental statement or public consultation was completed, more than a year before the proposal became public knowledge. A council spokesperson described the pre-application process as standard practice and confidential, intended only to offer guidance on planning acceptability rather than confirm a proposal.

Emails dated 18 December 2025 between council officials and developers discussed stakeholder engagement plans and potential links with a sixth form college in Exeter. Emily Clark of the action group stated that these exchanges revealed officers treating the project as a foregone conclusion, leading to community frustration over the secrecy surrounding what is potentially the nation’s most costly infrastructure proposal.

Residents are questioning why this development is located in a protected UN biosphere on productive farmland. The proposed location raises several environmental issues, including water consumption, wastewater runoff containing toxic PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances), air pollution, high background noise, and safety risks associated with the BESS.

Momentum against the project has grown significantly. In June, Xlinks held a public town hall meeting where they assured residents of their intent to collaborate. However, campaigners argue that genuine dialogue has been absent since then. The opposition is not limited to locals; tens of thousands have joined the cause, with some drawing inspiration from US-based activism.

Cheryl Cottle-Hunkin, the cabinet member for rural affairs for Devon county council, launched a national petition calling on the government to pause all datacentre and BESS plans outside designated AI growth zones. She argues that proposals outside these zones may seek to evade regulation and government scrutiny. The petition has garnered 30,000 signatures, reflecting a demand for an urgent national conversation on the scale and location of AI infrastructure.

While Xlinks claims the project will bring significant economic investment, including up to 1,200 jobs, critics emphasize that the development would annihilate prime north Devon farmland and have massive repercussions for the region’s ecology. The conflict underscores a broader debate about how to manage the environmental impact of the AI boom while maintaining regulatory oversight and protecting globally significant landscapes.