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Nine-year-old girl leads campaign against £13billion plans for Europe's largest data centre that would cover over 850 acres of British countryside

Nine-year-old girl leads campaign against £13billion plans for Europe's largest data centre that would cover over 850 acres of British countryside

A nine-year-old girl is leading the campaign against plans to build Europe's largest data centre on 850 acres of British countryside.

Demelza May wants to stop the developer Xlinks from building the AI campus, which would dwarf the town of Great Torrington in Devon only one mile away.

Alongside her mother, Daisy Hiron-Snow, 30, the schoolgirl has joined 'up-in-arms' locals protesting against the £13billion proposal.

Demelza has become a vocal opponent against the plans, which were announced to residents by flyers posted through their letterboxes in June. 

The data centre campus – located between Great Torrington, Huntshaw and Weare Gifford – would create between 650-1,200 jobs upon completion and contribute £3.6billion to the UK's economy, according to Xlinks.

The youngster, who lives on a local farm with her family, spoke about the risks the development poses at a Torridge District Council meeting.

She fears that if built the massive data centre would destroy the surrounding landscape, local wildlife and affect water supplies.

'I don't want this, and I'm going to try and stop it with everything I'm doing,' she said.

Daisy Hiron-Snow, 30, and her nine-year-old daughter, Demelza May, are fighting plans to build a data centre in Great Torrington

An aerial view of arable Devon countryside which could be used to build the massive data centre campus

'It'll take away a huge area of land and change our home forever. It makes me really sad because all the wildlife will be crushed – they won't have a home.'

Demelza said she wants the development to stop, adding: 'It's not right for the world. It's not right for my future. It's not right for everyone's future.'

The youngster's campaigning came after the Daily Mail revealed plans to build the data centre, believed to be the largest in Europe, in July. 

Residents were concerned that the campus would 'destroy' the town and surrounding landscape.

More than 37,700 people have signed a petition calling for the gargantuan AI campus, including 1,720 battery storage units, to be scrapped.

Local business owner and mother, Daisy, said that after researching the proposals, she realised that building the data centre would be 'catastrophic'.

'We believe it's probably the biggest data centre campus in the world, and the battery storage facility would be in the top 10 biggest in the world,' she said.

'I have been looking into the impacts that this proposal could have on the tourism and farming industry in the area. 

Demelza voiced her worries about the proposals at a Torridge District Council meeting on October 26

An artist's impression of what the Devon data centre could look like on completion

'I always thought the proposal was bad, but the more I've researched, I realise that it could be catastrophic.'

Matt Whittaker, a former Torrington Town Hall trustee, attended a public meeting on June 25 – the day the plans were announced.

He told the Daily Mail: 'We know that this data centre cannot go here but we are going to prove it.

'Everyone is up in arms but we are doing it in an intelligent way. We are driven by emotion but we are not distracted by our hearts. It won't just destroy the town, it's far bigger than that.'

The 59-year-old voiced his qualms about the AI-generated image of the campus, which does not accurately depict the true scale of the site. 

He added: 'There's 112 containers in the image, but there will actually be more than 2,300 battery containers one-and-a-half miles from a school, with a cooling system on the side of each one screaming at 65 decibels. How is that healthy?' 

The image is an early rendered illustration of what the data centre could look like and is 'not reflective of either the site or the scheme', according to Xlinks. 

The firm said the data centre would serve the growing demand for AI in the UK while providing a long-term commitment to clean energy.

The data centre campus could take up to 850 acres of land just one mile away from an idyllic Devon town

No formal planning applications have been submitted, but the council planning committee will determine the outcome of any proposals put forward. 

Xlinks currently holds a land option for up to 850 acres, but the current layout uses around a third of that area.

It said that the majority of the site would be used for environmental measures and public open spaces including woodland.

A Torridge District Council spokesperson said: 'It was great to welcome Demelza to speak at Torridge District Council's Full Council Meeting on Monday 26 October.

'We know that this is an issue that has generated a lot of local interest, and it was impressive to witness how well and passionately Demelza spoke.

'It is great to see people of a young age engaging with democracy and recognising the importance and right to have their voice heard.

'We feel this is important and would strongly encourage people of any age young and old to have their say on local issues.'

Do YOU have a story? Email Joshua.Haining@dailymail.co.uk 

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The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are to visit Brussels next week as they resume public appearances in the wake of child sexual abuse image allegations facing Meghan's father.

Prince Harry and Meghan will deliver a joint keynote address at the opening of the Lost Screen Memorial in the European Parliament on Tuesday.

It is expected to be the first time the pair will have been seen in public since Thomas Markle Sr was reported to police in the Philippines and the FBI over a haul of suspected child abuse images.

The brief trip abroad will see Harry and Meghan listen to addresses by European Parliament president Roberta Metsola and MEP Antonio Lopez-Isturiz, the first vice-chairman of the Child Rights Intergroup, before delivering their own speech.

The Sussexes will have between 15 and 20 minutes for their rare dual-address, which they will use to speak about the importance of children's digital safety.

Harry and Meghan will also be shown the memorial exhibition, which remembers children who have lost their lives as a result of the harm they suffered on social media.

The Duke will later join a panel discussion called Beyond Promises: Building A Digital Future That Works For Children to discuss how to protect children online.

Prince Harry and Mehgan arrive for a visit to Himmah Hub in Nottingham on October 15

The Philippine National Police (PNP) has said videos of alleged child sexual abuse and exploitation were among files found in four storage boxes that allegedly belonged to Mr Markle Sr, after he was reported by his son Thomas Markle Jr last month.

Major General Wilson Asueta of the PNP said it had yet to be confirmed who owned the devices, which included nine mobile phones, three memory cards, five hard drives and a camera.

The 82-year-old was reported to police in the Philippines and the FBI last month by Mr Markle Jr, who handed over a haul of alleged child abuse images he said he found in his father's belongings in Cebu City.

A second hoard was discovered last Friday in a storage unit Thomas Markle Sr is said to have rented near his former home in Rosarito, Mexico, during a raid by Mexican police.

Reports have since claimed Mr Markle Sr was moved into a care home for dementia patients in Florida, described as a specialist 'memory care' facility.

It has raised concerns the FBI may never be able to interview Meghan's estranged father because of the legal barriers over interrogating suspects with cognitive issues in care homes.

Meghan was left 'deeply distressed' at the allegations and revealed she was sent a letter via the Metropolitan Police and Royalty and Specialist Protection seven years ago which made 'troubling and disturbing allegations' about her father, but that she was given assurances these were being investigated.

Harry and Meghan are set to be seen in public for the first time since her father Thomas Markle was reported to police over a haul of alleged child sexual abuse images

The Metropolitan Police has admitted it never shared the details with other law enforcement agencies, with the police watchdog, the Independent Office for Police Conduct, now investigating the force's conduct.

The Duchess had wanted to 'speak out' immediately after reading the letter but police advised her against this, sources said.

Meghan has been estranged from her father since the run-up to her 2018 wedding when he was caught staging paparazzi photographs and then had a heart attack, meaning the King, then-the Prince of Wales, stepped in to walk Meghan down the aisle.

When former TV lighting director Mr Markle Sr had his leg amputated in the Philippines last year, he made pleas for the duchess to contact him, saying he did not want to die while they were still estranged.

A spokesperson for the duchess confirmed at the time she had 'reached out to her father'.

Last week, it emerged Meghan wrote in this final letter that she knew he was an abuser and that he would never see his grandchildren Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.

Mr Markle Sr, who returned to the US in May, has admitted to paying for sex in the Philippines but denied ever possessing child abuse imagery.

READ MORE: Harry and Meghan lose another key member of staff as Archewell's head of factual programmes steps down after more than five years

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Blake Lively looked as if she had some new pep in her step when she was spotted out in New York City on Tuesday night in a stunning little black dress.

The 39-year-old Gossip Girl star was spotted out in Manhattan's Upper East Side for an event celebrating the launch of jeweler Brent Neale's new holiday collection, according to E! News.

Although Lively was reportedly joined by friends, her husband Ryan Reynolds, 50, didn't appear by her side.

The Daily Mail has reached out to Lively's representative for comment but hasn't yet heard back. 

Lively – who recently revealed her over-the-top beauty regimen – channeled classic glamour in her skimpy black dress, which was decorated with glittering sequins.

The off-the-shoulder minidress featured a playful black bow that covered her cleavage for a touch of modesty.

Blake Lively looked as if she had some new pep in her step when she was spotted out in New York City on Tuesday night in a stunning little black dress

The 39-year-old Gossip Girl star was spotted out in Manhattan's Upper West Side for an event celebrating the launch of jeweler Brent Neale's new holiday collection, according to E! News

Lively – who recently revealed her over-the-top beauty regimen – channeled classic glamour in her skimpy black dress, which was decorated with glittering sequins

Lively's short skirt showcased her toned legs, which culminated in clear Louboutins that strapped around her ankles and featured black-tipped toes.

The It Ends with Us star, who is stepping out in the wake of her bruising legal drama with her former costar and director Justin Baldoni, wore her long blond hair in dramatic waves cascading down her shoulders.

She completed her glamorous ensemble with a simple black leather hobo handbag, and she added some extra sparkle with dangling earrings and multiple enormous sparkling rings.

Lively looked as if she was on top of the world as she beamed for photographers outside the shindig.

The outing comes after Lively revealed the secrets of the beauty regimen she uses to look as if she's in the 'first trimester of life' last week.

The actress took to her Instagram Story to share a candid clip of the nighttime routine she uses to maintain her 'natural beauty.'

She appeared to be wearing headgear with red-light therapy over her hair, in addition to a sheet mask with extra pieces she had pasted to her bare face. 

The Gossip Girl alumna was also bundled up in a brown fleece hoodie while seemingly winding down for the night with her beauty routine.

The off-the-shoulder minidress featured a playful black bow that covered her cleavage for a touch of modesty

Lively's short skirt showcased her toned legs, which culminated in clear Louboutins that strapped around her ankles and featured black-tipped toes

The It Ends with Us star wore her long blond hair in dramatic waves cascading down her shoulders

She completed her glamorous ensemble with a simple black leather hobo handbag

Lively added some extra sparkle with dangling earrings and multiple enormous sparkling rings

Lively looked as if she was on top of the world as she beamed for photographers outside the shindig

The outing comes after Lively revealed the secrets of her beauty regimen last week

She joked that her go-to products make her look as if she's in the 'first trimester of life'

The actress took to her Instagram Story to share a candid clip of the nighttime routine she uses to maintain her 'natural beauty' 

Lively gave a glimpse into her cozy wind-down routine shortly after the drama involving her film It Ends With Us and her director and costar Justin Baldoni. 

'Natural beauty is effortless,' she quipped at the bottom of her post, which pictured her taking a deep breath while the mask covered her face.

Lively also drew thought bubbles around her face, and in one, she wrote: 'If I don't look like I'm in the first trimester of life after this much effort I quit.' 

She continued: 'I miss the 2000s when we just used that handsoap with fish characters on it on our face & called it a day.' 

The Gossip Girl star also noted the lights in the background of her room in another thought bubble: 'My kids' star projector that I stole is a vibe tho.'

She set her candid post to the tune of Fergie and Ludacris' 2006 smash hit Glamorous.

The mother of four – who shares James, 11; Inez, ten; Betty, seven; and Olin, three, with her husband Ryan Reynolds – often shares snippets of her hair and beauty routines on social media.

In August, she shared a video of herself getting ready in her bathroom before rushing out the door as a busy mother and businesswoman. 

The mother of four – who shares James, 11; Inez, ten; Betty, seven; and Olin, three, with her husband Ryan Reynolds – often shares snippets of her hair and beauty routines on social media; above with Reynolds in April 2025 in NYC

In August, she shared a video of herself getting ready in her bathroom before rushing out the door as a busy mother and businesswoman

Her post comes after she was in a legal battle with Baldoni, and the former costars settled right before their trial was set to begin. Baldoni was ultimately ordered to pay $400,000 of Lively's legal fees earlier this year; pictured together in It Ends With Us

'The look: no time but need to look cute while ALSO raising children,' the movie star, who was seen using products from her Blake Brown haircare brand, wrote over the clip. 

'Moment of truth: bun out after running around the city,' she continued, before almost running out the door with her pants unbuttoned.

Her post comes after she was in a legal battle with Baldoni, and the former costars settled right before their trial was set to begin. 

Baldoni was ultimately ordered to pay $400,000 of Lively's legal fees. 

Lively previously sued Baldoni and his production company Wayfarer in December 2024. 

Right before their trial was set to begin earlier this year, Lively was awarded just over $400,000 of the $8 million she sought in legal fees from their dispute due to his countersuit. 

In her lawsuit, Lively asserted that she was subjected to sexual harassment as well as retaliation, alleging he orchestrated a smear campaign to harm her reputation after she brought up complaints about his behavior on set.  

In response, Baldoni denied harassment and claimed Lively made complaints to seize creative control of the movie. 

In June 2025, the countersuit was thrown out. In May of this year, just two weeks before the scheduled trial date, the former costars reached their settlement.

They also released a joint statement, writing that they 'remain firmly committed to workplaces free of improprieties and unproductive environments.' 

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