“Botley West would have sprawled across an area the size of 2,000 football pitches, much of it Green Belt or high-quality farmland,” said Roger Mortlock, chief executive of the Campaign to Protect Rural England, according to ITVX.
The UK government rejected development consent on Tuesday, November 10, for the 840 MW Botley West Solar Farm project in Oxfordshire, marking the first time a solar nationally significant infrastructure project has been refused.
Over two-thirds, or 69 percent, of the project was planned across the protected Oxfordshire Green Belt, according to ITVX. Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State Baroness Curran issued the refusal on behalf of the energy secretary, citing significant harms to landscape character and designated heritage assets near Blenheim Palace, as reported by Energy Voice.
The Planning Inspectorate recommended in February that the energy secretary refuse the order due to public safety, aviation safety, and heritage concerns. The 118-page decision letter also noted risks to trainee pilots at London Oxford Airport who rely on emergency landing zones where panels were proposed, according to Yahoo News UK.
German developer Photovolt Development Partners sought £800 million to finance the scheme, which would have covered more than 3,000 acres north and west of Oxford and supplied energy for around 330,000 homes, according to ITVX and Energy Voice.
“We will now carefully consider the reasons for the decision and assess all available options before determining our next steps,” the developers said. Chris Hewett, chief executive of trade association Solar Energy UK, called the decision a regrettable decision, stating that solar farms push expensive gas off the grid.
Local campaigners and politicians welcomed the outcome. Professor Alex Rogers, chair of the Stop Botley West Group, said the developer missed critical evidential milestones regarding biodiversity and rural space loss during the three-year application process. Charlie Maynard MP welcomed the decision, noting that renewable proposals must be developed with communities.
Photovolt may challenge the decision through a High Court Judicial Review, which must be launched within six weeks, according to ITVX. Yahoo News UK reported that any such challenge is restricted to legal errors or procedural flaws rather than planning merits.
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