Xlinks has postponed its planned public information days for the proposed £13 billion AI data centre campus and 1.8 GW battery storage facility near Torrington in north Devon.
The sessions, originally scheduled for mid-July across four local venues, will now take place later in the year. The company cited the need to give residents more time for discussion and to avoid the peak summer holiday period. Its overall consultation window, which had been set to run from 14 July to 11 August 2026, has been extended with no new closing date announced.
In a public statement Xlinks said:
We are moving them to later in the year, to allow more time to talk with local residents and to avoid the summer holiday period. New dates will be announced once confirmed, with as much notice as possible. In the meantime, we will be running smaller, informal sessions in the local area to gather feedback and answer questions.
The project occupies an 850-acre site between Great Torrington, Weare Giffard and Huntshaw. It would deliver up to 1.5 GW of AI-optimised compute capacity alongside the 1.8 GW battery installation. Forecasts indicate between 650 and 1,200 permanent jobs, 2,000 to 3,500 construction roles during build-out, and an annual economic contribution reaching as high as £3.6 billion.
Local residents have raised detailed objections. Concerns centre on noise, landscape change, water and electricity demand, higher HGV traffic, light pollution and the permanent conversion of agricultural land lying inside the North Devon UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. An online petition titled 'Say No to Devon Data Campus' stood at 23,581 signatures on 9 July 2026.
