A nine-year-old girl is at the forefront of a local campaign opposing a £13 billion plan to construct Europe's largest data centre on 850 acres of British countryside in Devon. Demelza May, alongside her mother Daisy Hiron-Snow and other residents, is protesting the proposed AI campus by developer Xlinks, which would be situated near the town of Great Torrington.
The proposals, announced to residents in June, estimate the creation of 650 to 1,200 jobs upon completion and a contribution of £3.6 billion to the UK's economy. However, opponents like Demelza, who lives on a local farm, fear the development's impact on the local environment. She voiced concerns at a Torridge District Council meeting about the destruction of the landscape, local wildlife, and potential effects on water supplies.
"It’ll take away a huge area of land and change our home forever. It makes me really sad because all the wildlife will be crushed - they won’t have a home," Demelza stated, adding that the development "is not right for the world. It’s not right for my future. It’s not right for everyone’s future."
More than 37,700 people have signed a petition calling for the AI campus, which would include 1,720 battery storage units, to be abandoned. Local business owner Daisy Hiron-Snow described the potential impacts on the tourism and farming industries as "catastrophic."
Concerns have also been raised about the scale of the project and its potential health implications. Matt Whittaker, a former Torrington Town Hall trustee, noted that an artist's impression of the campus did not accurately reflect its true size. He highlighted the proximity of over 2,300 battery containers to a local school, questioning the health impact of their cooling systems operating at a significant decibel level.
Xlinks stated that the data centre is intended to meet the growing demand for AI in the UK and to support clean energy initiatives. The company holds an option for up to 850 acres, with plans to utilize about a third of the land for the main campus, allocating the majority for environmental measures and public open spaces.
A spokesperson for Torridge District Council acknowledged Demelza's passionate address at a recent council meeting, commending young people for engaging with democracy and encouraging all residents to voice their opinions on local issues.
