Frequently asked questions

Separate applications for the data centre and energy storage system will be submitted to Torridge District Council. Before we submit, we are consulting locally to help shape the design. Once submitted, the Council will publish it and invite comments, typically over 21 days. A planning officer or committee will then assess and make a decision on the application against planning policy and consultation responses. The data centre is submitting for outline planning only at this stage: a detailed application would follow later, which would go through the same process.

The planning applications for the data centre and the energy storage system will be submitted to Torridge District Council as the local planning authority, and it is for the Council to determine them. This follows the standard local planning process: the applications are published, the public and statutory bodies are invited to comment, and the Council weighs them against planning policy and the responses received. We are committed to supporting strong local community engagement and voice to help shape our plans and inform our wider community benefit package. We believe that the local planning process gives the best opportunity to achieve this.

Subject to planning consent, enabling works are provisionally planned for 2027/28, with construction starting in 2028/29, and the energy storage system complete by the end of 2030. The data centre construction timeline depends on the availability of computing components, but is likely to run in phases across a multi-year period.

A construction management plan, which must be agreed with the local authority, would cover traffic movements, noise, dust, light controls, and working hours on site. The plan must show what measures are being taken to minimise any impacts on the community.

It is the engine behind many everyday services and is already helping to solve important problems in lots of organisations — for example, more than 4 million NHS patients have already had faster lung cancer diagnoses or all-clear results.

To meet AI demand, the UK needs more computing capacity. Today, the UK relies on AI data centres abroad, which creates data security risk and means the UK doesn’t benefit from the jobs and investment they bring. The NHS and Police are just two of the organisations who are bringing data back onshore.

There is a ‘Goldilocks’ climate here: not too cold, not too hot, just right — reducing the need for heating and cooling, and cutting energy and water use. The site is close to planned renewable energy generation, like offshore wind. The area also has strong fibre connectivity and available electricity grid capacity.

Brownfield options were part of our search before this site was chosen. A project like this depends on a specific combination of factors that very few sites — brownfield or otherwise — can offer together: a robust grid connection with genuine spare capacity, proximity to renewable generation, the right climate for highly efficient cooling, and access to fibre and data routes. Most brownfield sites, particularly those near towns and cities, don’t have the available grid capacity or the land area required. This location brings those factors together, while allowing the majority of the site to be given over to landscaping and open space.

We expect 650–1,200 permanent jobs, and 2,000–3,500 during construction. In addition, there will be more jobs created in the supply chain.

AI data centres host modelling work and need dedicated 24-hour teams to ensure they run reliably. This data centre will require a skilled and diverse team, from electrical engineers to maintenance staff.

Employees who are locally rooted stay in their roles longer, which helps retain skill, knowledge and a good culture. The campus will work with local education partners on skills and training, and run job fairs to maximise local recruitment. Local supply chain sessions will also be run for local businesses on opportunities to partner on construction and operation.

Alongside local income such as business rates, the campus would include a community benefit package worth tens of millions of pounds, made up of: i) direct grants to local groups, clubs and initiatives; ii) on-site facilities; and iii) wider area investment, determined by the district council.

Yes — a great example is the START Campus in Sines, Portugal. You can find out more at startcampus.pt.

No. There will be no impact on local electricity supplies or prices. The data centre will use power from a different system to local homes.

We want to protect and enhance the environment. We are also obliged to ensure there is more nature than before (a 10% biodiversity net gain versus today) and to maintain that over the campus’s life. We intend to create a nature plan aligned to the North Devon Biosphere’s world-leading approach.

No. We plan for the site to be self-sufficient, recirculating water to absorb heat (like a car radiator), topped up from collected rainwater.

No — there would be no discharge into the Torridge or any waterway. The site would contain any firefighting runoff on site, in the unlikely event that this is needed. We would work up plans with input from Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service and other statutory bodies.

The campus would be powered through its connection to the national grid at Alverdiscott, drawing increasingly on the South West’s growing renewable generation, and it is designed around clean power rather than fossil fuels. Like virtually all critical infrastructure — hospitals included — it would have standby backup power so it can shut down safely or ride through a rare grid outage. Any backup generation would run only in those rare emergencies and for brief periodic testing, not day to day. Our Environmental Impact Assessment includes an air-quality assessment against established UK standards.

While we hold a land option for up to 850 acres, current layouts would use around a third of it. The majority of the site would be given over to environmental measures and public open space — including new native broadleaf woodland to strengthen existing woodland, support biodiversity and help integrate the campus into the landscape.

From certain viewpoints, yes — however the landscape of the site helps us to minimise this, along with existing woodland screening. We will create more natural screening with planting and landscaping.

No. There would be strict limits set as part of the planning process, which would be enforced across the campus’s lifetime. We will also design in noise buffers, like landscaping and trees, and noise will be monitored to ensure it doesn’t breach limits.

Energy storage site fires are very rare — in fact, less common than in other non-residential buildings. The scheme will be subject to strict regulations. We would work with the Fire & Rescue Service on a fire plan so that, in the unlikely event of a fire, any incident on site would be contained, so that there is no threat to the health and safety of local residents.

The current design comprises around 1,720 containerised battery units, each similar in size to a shipping container. The final number and layout will be confirmed through the detailed design and planning process, with full details set out in our planning application.

There are no current proposals for this. The campus would be powered through the national grid (via Alverdiscott). The Morocco-UK Power Project is a separate project that remains on pause. There is a possibility of a renewables interconnection as part of a later phase (from Morocco or elsewhere, e.g. Ireland), but that would require a separate planning process.

Xlinks is a British company that specialises in renewable-energy based projects. You can read more about Xlinks at xlinks.co.