Money man, Graham Edwards, Director , CX Tech Limited, seizes an opportunity to destroy a beautiful area in Scotland by building ‘the biggest datacentre in the world’.
The Tory Party Treasurer’s water company which he co-owns via an offshore trust in the British Virgin Island has won a £1.2m contract with HMRC, the Mirror can reveal.
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Graham Edwards, who has donated £5.5m to the Tories since 2011, is a director of independent water company Castle Water. Castle Water has profited from the deregulation of water supply to business customers by DEFRA in 2017, growing from a turnover of £2.9m in 2016 to £436m last year.
It is not currently profitable and runs thanks to £150m in loans from its offshore parent company in the BVI, our investigation with the Good Law Project found. Castle Water says it is UK tax resident but accounting expert Professor Richard Murphy says the offshore ownership arrangement means there could be “significant tax savings” for Castle Water’s owners, including majority shareholder Mr Edwards, if they ever sold the company.
Where companies are owned in tax havens, the new buyers typically acquire the shares in the offshore parent company rather than directly buying the UK subsidiary.
Prof Murphy, professor of accounting practice at Sheffield University Management School, said: “Castle Water Limited is owned by an offshore structure based in the British Virgin Islands which appears to exist for the benefit, at least in part, of one of its directors, Graham Edwards. The structure would be of greatest benefit if Castle Water Limited was sold.
“In that case the sale proceeds received in the British Virgin Islands would likely be tax free, subject to HM Revenue & Customs scrutiny. There could be significant tax savings arising in that case.”
John Reynolds, CEO and minority shareholder in Castle Water, told the Mirror: “You are correct that Castle Water Holdings is registered in the BVI but you should note that it is tax domiciled in the UK, so there is no tax structuring going on. Our funding structure is not unconventional and we comply with all tax legislation.
https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/politics/water-firm-co-owned-tory-32923802
See Castle Water:
https://www.castlewater.co.uk/about
THE FERRET
Tory official behind plans for ‘world’s largest data centre’ in Scotland
11th October
By Paul Dobson and Jamie Mann
CX Tech Limited has submitted an application for Planning Permission in Principle (PPiP) for the proposed CX Technology Campus at the former Chapelcross nuclear power station site near Annan, Dumfries and Galloway………
work indicates that it could support approximately 1000 jobs during construction and create well over 100 permanent skilled roles, bringing long-term careers in engineering, technology, facilities management and security to a rural economy.”
The project, they noted, will be subject to an environmental impact assessment, further community consultation and “independent scrutiny” through the planning process.
The Scottish and UK Conservatives did not respond to a request for comment.
What CX Tech’s £16.5bn Data Centre Could Mean for Scotland
October 05, 2026
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CX Tech Limited has submitted plans for a £16.5bn data centre campus at Chapelcross, led by Chief Executive Graeme Anderson in the south of Scotland
Plans have been formally submitted for a 1GW data centre-led technology campus in Scotland, in what could become one of the UK’s largest new digital infrastructure developments.
CX Tech Limited has lodged an application for Planning Permission in Principle for the CX Technology Campus at Chapelcross, near Annan in the South of Scotland, a site once home to one of the country’s first commercial nuclear power stations.
If the plans are accepted, CX Tech would invest a total of £16.5 billion in the project, equivalent to US$21.83bn.
https://datacentremagazine.com/news/what-cx-techs-16-5bn-data-centre-could-mean-for-scotland
Scottish Green MSP calls for rejection of data centre at former nuclear plant
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The site of a former nuclear plant could become home to a massive data centre if plans are approved.
The facility at Chapelcross was the first in the country when it opened near Annan in 1959 on what had been a World War II airfield.
Production stopped in 2004 and decommissioning began. Now plans have been submitted to build a £16.5bn data centre at the site.
With a capacity of 1GW, it would be amongst the biggest in the world with annual power consumption equivalent to that of up to two million homes.
The application comes amidst debate over data centre strategy in Scotland, with new national guidance expected by the end of the year.
Developers claim the Dumfries and Galloway project could result in 750 jobs during the construction phase and support 500 full-time posts thereafter. If approved, it would take up to eight years to complete.
Graeme Anderson, chief executive of applicant CX Tech, called the scheme “a once-in-a-generation opportunity” for the region and the country.
He said: “Chapelcross has the potential to bring together our renewable energy strengths, digital infrastructure and high-value jobs in a way that few other sites can.
“We have an opportunity to seize that potential now, creating a new economic future for a site that has played an important role in Scotland’s energy story for generations.”
However, there is opposition to the development, with concerns raised over the environmental impact and effects on local communities.
South Scotland MSP Laura Moodie, of the Scottish Greens, has called for the bid to be rejected. She said: “The site at Chapelcross should be the best place to put a data centre by utilising a decommissioned brownfield site.
“But the proposal which has been lodged is reckless and endangers our energy supply and natural environment.”
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Read the most recent article written by Staff Reporter – More than 2,000 objections to plans for ‘world’s largest’ data centre.
The site is not on the old nuclear site and most is greenfield
The proposed data centre is at least half on green-fields used for grazing and not on brownfield land.
The 2024 prospectus for development at the site notes that the area which is now being proposed for the data centre (the larger purple area in the map below) is outside the nuclear licenced site. On p23 of the prospectus it says about these purpule areas: “Unlicensed NDA Landholding – this land is owned by NDA but is outside of Nuclear Licensed area and therefore potentially available for development in the short-medium term. It comprises a mix of brownfield land (former airfield) and greenfield land to the north, south and east of the former Power Station which is currently in low intensity agricultural use (grazing).”
The brownfield land being referred to as brownfield comprises the old RAF airfield, this is species-rich grassland and the request for a scoping opinion from D&G council notes that “The uncultivated areas at Chapelcross are known to be extremely valuable for biodiversity having been sympathetically managed since the 1940’s. We understand that these areas now support some of the best examples of species rich grassland in the region, supporting rarities such as butterfly orchid and dingy skipper butterfly. Within the footprint boundary for this consultation, the land around NY21507045 and NY21927054 is likely to be important for nature and therefore thorough survey and assessment will be required to determine if these areas are suitable for development or whether they should be more appropriately managed to deliver positive effects for biodiversity in line with NPF4.”
The two grid references referred to, denote the grassland within the old airfield site. So although this could potentially be referred to as brownfield, because there is a portion of old runway but the remainder of the site is species rich grassland that the scoping reports says ‘supports some of the best examples of species rich grassland in the region’
https://aprs.scot/chapelcross-data-centre/
Extract from a Scottish voice, Maggie Sale on FB, protesting against the advance of data centres for AI:
Imagine what our communities could look like if we put more money into public libraries instead of offering huge incentives to big tech companies.
Libraries give people a place to learn, read, study, use computers, and access resources they might not have at home. They welcome children, students, families, and older adults. They help people find jobs, learn new skills, and connect with their communities. And they do all of this without requiring anyone to buy a subscription.
Meanwhile, data centers are expanding across the country to support cloud computing, AI, and the digital services we use every day. These facilities serve a purpose, but they also require enormous amounts of electricity. Some use significant amounts of water for cooling. Their construction can also affect nearby land, wildlife habitats, and local communities.
The question is not whether we need technology. We clearly do. The question is whether taxpayers should help pay for private data center projects while many communities are still fighting to fund schools, libraries, parks, and other essential services.
When a company wants to build a massive facility, it should have to show that the project benefits the community, not just its bottom line. Public money should come with public benefits.
We should be able to embrace new technology without ignoring the needs of people, wildlife, and the environment.
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