‘People are standing up and fighting back’: the north Devon revolt against a vast AI datacentre
TL;DR
Plans for one of Europe's largest AI campuses inside a Unesco biosphere reserve in north Devon have triggered a fierce local backlash. The proposed hyperscale data campus would sit near the town of Great Torrington, in a protected landscape of wooded valleys and meadows along the River Torridge. Residents say the project threatens the character of the area, echoing a wave of datacentre protests that has spread across the US.
Nauti's Take
A campus like this carries real potential for a rural region: investment, tax revenue and some skilled jobs. The risk is the location, since a hyperscale datacentre inside a Unesco reserve needs huge amounts of power, water and land.
Operators that commit early to waste heat reuse, renewable supply and genuine local input stand a better chance. Those who push such projects through against residents risk years of delays and a growing backlash against AI infrastructure across Europe.
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