Full Breakdown
AI Data Center Proposal Stirs Rural Backlash in Devon
By Drooid · · How we work
Project Overview
A development plan announced in June calls for one of Europe’s largest artificial-intelligence data centers, paired with a battery-energy storage facility, to be built on 850 acres of farmland on the edge of Great Torrington, a town of roughly 6,000 residents in north Devon, southwest England. The site lies only a few hundred yards from the home of local farmer Giles Atton.
Local Opposition
Within days of the June announcement, a local opposition group formed to contest the project.
Official Statements & Responses
Giles Atton, the 36-year-old farmer whose property borders the proposed site, said he and his neighbours were “utterly blindsided” by the development proposal. Crowther, representing the Council for the Protection of Rural England, echoed the community’s surprise and highlighted the rapid organization of residents who view the project as a threat to the region’s rural heritage and environmental quality. Both speakers emphasize the perceived lack of prior consultation and the potential for lasting environmental impact.
Verbatim Quotes
- “We were utterly blindsided by it,” — Mr. Atton
- “They were expecting this to be sleepy town,” — Steve Crowther