A CHARITY has raised concerns over the lack of information on a new solar farm of unprecedented size, which could power all the homes in Oxfordshire.

Countryside charity CPRE Oxfordshire said that Photovolt Development Partners’ consultation on for Botley West Solar Farm did not provide enough information on what the developers are planning for the site.

If approved, the 1,000 hectare Botley West Solar Farm would be split across three sites in Cherwell, West Oxfordshire and Vale of White Horse, much of which comes under the Blenheim Estate.

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PVDP claims the project could deliver 840MW of green energy to the National Grid, which would be enough to power 330,000 homes across the county.

Helen Marshall, CPRE Oxfordshire’s director, said: “When the consultation started, there were just three high level maps available on their website.  More maps have now been added, but there is very little narrative or detail about what might be proposed.

“For example, we don’t know whether Blenheim Estate/PVDP has not yet done any environmental assessment work or whether it just does not wish to share the outcome. Either way, it’s not particularly helpful.

“We will be responding to the consultation, but only at a high level to outline key concerns and issues, which we think is appropriate given the lack of information currently provided.”

The charity said it is concerned about the cumulative impact of the proposals, which they said would mean losing agricultural land, almost entirely within the Oxford Green Belt, and industrialising the rural area. 

At the beginning of this month, West Oxfordshire District Council stated concerns about the planning process for such a large-scale site, while Green county councillor Dr Pete Sudbury, cabinet member for climate change delivery and environment, was positive about the potential of the project.

Lib Dem Vale councillor Debby Hallett, who represents Botley and Sunningwell, said she was ‘impressed- by what PVDP was proposing after attending an information event.

A spokesperson for PVDP said: “The project presents a real opportunity to contribute to achieving the UK's climate goals and to help deliver Oxfordshire's Energy Strategy and transition to net-zero.          

“PVDP has over 18 years of experience developing solar farms across Europe and Japan and are committed to delivering clean, affordable energy generation in the UK.

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“We are working with industry-leading experts to design an environmentally led project for Botley West that will deliver significant benefits for habitats and wildlife as well as creating new recreational access for local people.

“We encourage the local community to provide their feedback and come along to our consultation events.”

The consultation runs until December 15 and further information can be found visiting https://botleywest.co.uk/Home-Botley-West.html

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This story was written by Anna Colivicchi, she joined the team this year and covers health stories for the Oxfordshire papers. 

Get in touch with her by emailing: Anna.colivicchi@newsquest.co.uk

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