A massive data centre and battery storage site is planned for a site in the north Devon countryside.
The scheme is attracting considerable opposition from residents. Moreover, the residents are concerned about noise, water supplies, power usage and the impact on the landscape.
Xlinks, the company behind a stalled bid to bring renewable energy to the UK from Morocco through cables under the sea, wants to build the data campus near Great Torrington.
Also, the firm claims the artificial intelligence campus will be made up of giant warehouses. These warehouses will be full of powerful computers used to run digital services. Additionally, it revealed that the facility will create between 650 and 1,200 new jobs and be worth up to £3.6bn to the economy.
Size
Moreover, Xlinks said that the data campus would take up just over a third of an 850-acre (3.4 sq km). It will be located between Great Torrington, Weare Gifford and Huntshaw.
Furthermore, the news of the plans emerged when the MP for the area, Conservative Sir Geoffrey Cox, announced a public meeting held on Thursday at the town hall in Great Torrington. Also, the meeting was attended by hundreds of people.
One of the local resident Helen Lewis said: “My concerns are around noise, light pollution, destruction of our beautiful countryside and wildlife.”
She added she was worried about any increased risk of fire and the amount of water and electricity the site would use.
Many existing data centre plants need large quantities of water to prevent them from overheating.
Applications for the Data Center
Additionally, Xlinks said there would be two separate planning applications for the data centre and the battery storage site but neither had yet been submitted.
James Humfrey, CEO at Xlinks, said: “We know a project of this scale will raise questions and we’d expect nothing less from a community that cares about where they live.”
Moreover, a series of public information days is due to be held on 14 July in Weare Giffard,. Additionally, the information days will be conducted on 15 July in Great Torrington and 16 July in Huntshaw and 17 July in Bideford.
Lastly, Humfrey said: “They’re an open invitation for people to see the proposals in detail, talk directly to the team and tell us what matters most to them.
“That feedback genuinely shapes how we take the Devon data campus forward. Also, we’d encourage anyone with questions or concerns to come along.”
Devon County Data Center Project Factsheet
Developer: Xlinks First Ltd
Project Name: Devon Data Campus / Valeon Data Centre & BESS
Location: Alverdiscott, North Devon, England (spanning an 850-acre site between Great Torrington, Weare Giffard, and Huntshaw)
Project Nature: A co-located, large-scale artificial intelligence (AI) data center campus. Also, it will be developed alongside an independent battery energy storage system (BESS).
Planning Status: Entering formal public consultation (July–August 2026) ahead of submission to the Torridge District Council.
Technical Specifications
- Valeon Data Centre: 1.5 GW of AI-optimized compute capacity
- Battery Energy Storage (BESS): 1.8 GW capacity
- Physical Footprint: 300+ acres used out of an 850-acre site
- Grid Interconnection: Existing Alverdiscott Substation
Economic and Employment Impact
- Total Capital Investment: £12.2 billion – £13.8 billion
- Annual Economic Contribution: £3.3 billion – £3.6 billion to the regional UK economy.
- Construction Phase Jobs: 2,000 – 3,500 jobs during the build cycle.
- Permanent Operational Jobs: 600 – 1,200 high-skilled technical and operational roles.
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