Eynsham Parish Council has been receiving a high number of messages from residents in regards to the Botley West Solar Farm development that would impact land close to Eynsham.
This project is currently under review by the developers following a consultation, which closed earlier this year. During the consultation period, the Parish Council reviewed the proposals and strongly objected. We sent a response to the Planning Inspectorate to outline the reasons we felt this development should not proceed.
While we acknowledge the need for renewable and sustainable energy sources, this planned solar farm is too large and too close to residential areas, quite clearly designed to maximise profits for landowners. We also objected to the use of Green Belt land for solar panels before other placements had been exhausted (e.g. on houses).
Importantly, the cumulative impact of increased development in our area (considering the housing developments of Salt Cross Garden Village and the West Eynsham Strategic Development Area are incoming) would be incredibly detrimental to our area.
You can read our response by downloading the letter we sent, dated 6 July 2023. The document is available at bottom of this page. Residents can also review other responses to the Scoping Report via this link. Thes response include one from West Oxfordshire District Council expressing concerns about aspects such as flooding, wildlife, the impact on farming, housing and recreation.
The developers are currently reviewing the plans and will hold another consultation in the autumn. This will provide an opportunity to review the revised proposals and the Preliminary Environmental information Report (PEIR).
As before, this consultation period will involve community events during which residents are able to speak directly to members of the project team. We will let you know when these events are being held and encourage those of you with strong views to attend. We will also inform residents of how they can comment on the new plans as part of the consultation process.
Until we have more information to share, residents can read the details on the plans and the process by visiting the Botley West Solar Farm website.