The tension between national infrastructure goals and local community concerns has come to the forefront following comments by George Osborne regarding the development of AI datacenters in the UK. Osborne has publicly characterized those who oppose these projects as 'nimbys' (Not In My Backyard), suggesting that such local resistance is a significant barrier to Britain’s technological progress.

In response, residents in a small Devon town have challenged this characterization, highlighting a specific proposal to build one of Europe’s largest datacenters alongside a battery energy storage system on 850 acres of farmland. Opponents of the project argue that the development is disproportionate to the area, noting that the facility would be larger than the town itself. Furthermore, residents have raised concerns regarding the suitability of the location, specifically citing the reliance on narrow rural lanes for access and the potential for the project to permanently alter the character of the countryside. While proponents emphasize the necessity of these facilities for the nation's AI ambitions, the local perspective focuses on the environmental and logistical impact on rural communities.