CPRE calls for mega solar moratorium as Botley West scheme is refused
The Energy Secretary’s decision to reject the Botley West mega solar farm is hopeful news for the countryside in Oxfordshire and beyond. It also shows that now more than ever, we need a countryside-friendly plan for clean energy.
Botley West would have sprawled across an area the size of 2,000 football pitches, much of it Green Belt or high-quality farmland. It would have destroyed beautiful landscapes, damaged the setting of Blenheim Palace, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and displaced local farmers. Many of these factors were named as reasons for its refusal in what has been a process playing out over many years, with other 1,100 formal representations, months of examinations and two delayed decision deadlines.
Climate change is one of the greatest threats to the countryside. As global leaders gather for crucial climate talks at COP31, we know that moving away from fossil fuels is non-negotiable. But needlessly sacrificing the countryside — which grows our food and could support large-scale nature recovery and climate mitigation — doesn’t make sense when there are clear alternatives.
Calling for a pause
With two more mega solar farms in the pipeline for Oxfordshire — and many more besides — CPRE has written an open letter to Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero Miatta Fahnbulleh calling for a moratorium (pause) on new mega solar farm approvals above 30MW until a countryside-friendly plan for clean energy is in place.
The Strategic Spatial Energy Plan (SSEP), due by the end of 2027, will set the long-term direction for our energy system and the direction this plan takes sits with Energy Secretary. Done well, a national plan for energy could help the right projects move faster, with more community support, making the best use of our finite land. That includes the huge potential of rooftop solar, which is widely popular with the public, alongside community energy schemes with remain largely untapped.
We know that we need to act urgently on climate change, but our letter argues that the best way to get there is together, with energy projects that communities can get behind. This is exactly what a countryside-friendly SSEP could achieve.
The Energy Secretary’s decision shows that the government recognises a clean energy shouldn’t trade off with a beautiful resilient countryside. We’re asking the Energy Secretary to pause new approvals of mega solar farms until we have a plan that puts that into practice.
