Plans to develop large-scale data centres in rural areas have sparked significant opposition across parts of the United Kingdom, as concerns grow over environmental impact, resource use, and effects on local communities. This backlash comes amid government and industry projections that data centre capacity in the UK may need to more than double by 2030 to support the expanding artificial intelligence (AI) sector.
Currently, the UK operates between 550 and 565 data centres, large facilities housing advanced computing processors. The government designated data centres as critical national infrastructure in 2024, putting them on par with water, energy, and emergency services in planning priority. Supporters argue that the construction of new data centres could bolster economic growth and technological advancement. However, critics warn that such development risks compromising food security and the agricultural heritage of rural Britain.
One focal point of opposition is North Devon, where Xlinks, a green energy company, has proposed building a data campus covering 850 acres of agricultural land near Great Torrington. The project is planned to provide up to 1.5 gigawatts (GW) of AI-optimized computing capacity, create at least 650 jobs, and inject up to £3.6 billion into the economy. Despite these potential benefits, local residents and campaigners have voiced strong objections. The site’s footprint is reportedly equivalent to four average UK farms, and structures on the campus could reach 40 meters in height.
Water use has emerged as a key issue. Data centres require large amounts of water for cooling servers, a concern in light of drought declarations in seven English regions due to recent heatwaves and low rainfall. Currently, UK data centres consume more than 14 million litres of water daily. The energy regulator Ofgem has also warned that the growing power requirements of planned facilities could impose heavy strain on the National Grid.
Environmental advocates highlight potential damage to Devon’s landscape and ecology. Cheryl Cottle-Hunkin, a fifth-generation farmer and Devon County Council’s cabinet member for rural affairs, emphasized the irreversible loss of productive farmland and woods, including ancient hedgerows, within a designated UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. She stressed the link between national food security and preserving such agricultural land, calling for rigorous scrutiny and public debate on proposals of this scale.
Concerns over data centre expansion are not confined to the UK. In Ireland, data centres have come to account for nearly a quarter of the nation’s electricity consumption, a substantial increase from 5% in 2015. In the United States, singer and environmental activist Willie Nelson recently urged communities to oppose server warehouse projects in rural towns such as Abbott, Texas. Nelson cited the threat posed by these facilities’ large energy and water demands as well as their environmental footprint, underscoring the importance of maintaining the character and sustainability of rural areas.
As governments and industries push to meet growing demands for AI infrastructure, the tension between technological progress and rural conservation appears set to intensify. Stakeholders from multiple sectors continue to debate how to balance economic ambitions against the protection of communities, natural resources, and the environment.