• Four public events across four Devon towns were scheduled for 14–17 July and will now run after the holidays
• The delay signals community pushback ahead of the planning submission for a 1.5GW AI campus
The fact
Xlinks has postponed four public information days scheduled for 14–17 July in Weare Giffard, Great Torrington, Huntshaw and Bideford. The company said it had extended the consultation to allow more time for discussions with residents. Smaller local sessions will take place in the meantime, with full events rescheduled after the summer holidays.
The proposed Devon data campus includes a 1.5GW AI data centre and a separate battery energy storage system. Each project requires its own planning application, and neither has been submitted. Great Torrington Town Council said it will consider community feedback before responding to the proposals once they enter formal planning.
The assessment
The postponement is not a planning delay — neither application has been submitted yet. But it does signal that community engagement is shaping Xlinks' timetable before formal planning begins, rather than after.
A 1.5GW AI data centre is a project of national scale. The size alone means local concerns about power draw, water use, and visual impact will intensify as proposals firm up. Xlinks is also the company behind the Morocco–UK subsea power cable landing at Alverdiscott, just a few miles from the proposed campus site. That track record may help or hurt its case with local communities.
For BTW readers, the Devon case shows that consultation timelines are now part of project risk for UK data centre builds. Operators should expect community engagement to add months, not weeks, to pre-planning schedules.
What to watch
Watch for the rescheduled consultation dates and whether Xlinks adjusts its proposals in response to community feedback. The eventual planning applications will show whether community pushback has already reshaped the project.