Plans for a large AI datacentre in a Unesco reserve draw local opposition

single source· 1 articles · confidence: low · first seen 2026-09-27 07:00 UTC

What this means for you

Nothing to act on today. The report covers opposition, not an approval: no named developer, no capacity figure, no date. What is worth watching is whether protected-land siting becomes a standard front in European datacentre permitting — this piece does not yet show that.

A campaign has formed in north Devon against plans for one of Europe's largest AI datacentre campuses, sited inside a Unesco biosphere reserve. The Guardian reports the opposition is centred on Great Torrington, a town overlooking the Torridge valley, and that residents draw a comparison with the datacentre revolts spreading across the United States. The article names no developer, gives no power or compute capacity, no construction timetable and no planning status; it reports local opposition rather than a decision on the project.

Key facts

  • ·Plans exist for one of Europe's largest AI datacentre campuses in north Devon. source
  • ·The proposed campus would sit inside a Unesco biosphere reserve. source
  • ·Opposition is centred on Great Torrington, which overlooks the River Torridge valley. source
  • ·The article links the campaign to datacentre opposition spreading across the United States. source
  • ·The report names no developer, no campus capacity and no construction timetable. source

What the sources say

  • The Guardian AI — Reports local organising against a proposed AI campus, with no developer, capacity or timeline given.

Sources

The original reporting. Follow these — they did the work.

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