TOP STORY

 Thank you to the many hundreds of you who have seriously engaged with the Examination, sending in many well argued and evidential submissions on a wide range of issues about which you are justifiably concerned.

We are delighted that the Examiners (ExA) have listened to all of us and have not spared their words in criticising the Applicant (PVDP) for their many shortcomings. We hope that they will recommend that the DCO is NOT granted and, because PVDP has failed to provide sufficient evidence, that SoS Ed Miliband cannot be confident of deciding in their favour either.

This is the last time for you to participate in the Examination stage and to make your “closing statement” - your final views on the proposal having seen the questions and answers, changes and challenges, requests and rebuttals that have been exchanged during the Examination.

Over 1000 registered as Interested Parties (IPs) in May 2025 and it would send a really powerful message if every one of you sent in a closing statement - however brief - so the Examiners understand the strength of feeling in the community regarding PVDP and the Application.

When you’re ready to send submit your statement use this link to the “have your say” page on the PINS website (this will be open for submissions soon) or e-mail it to BotleyWestSolar@planninginspectorate.gov.uk

We recommend that you send a copy of your final submission to your MP.

Calum Miller: calum.miller.mp@parliament.uk or

Layla Moran: layla.moran.mp@parliament.uk

A key point, made by SBW’s barrister, Hashi Mohammed at the Open Hearing is that PVDP’s whole attitude makes a mockery of the Planning system by failing to respond in a timely manner to or, in some cases completely ignoring, the Examiners’ questions or requirements. “This leaves a significant gap in the knowledge and data available on which the ExA is required to make a robust recommendation.”

As SoS Ed Miliband, said in an interview on the Laura Keunsberg programme on Sunday 19th October “There has to be a proper process that we follow” and “each project is decided on merit”. SBW argues that the proper process can’t be taken through to a decision when so much evidence is still missing. See paragraphs 48 to end of the latest SBW response.

Your submission should make this point, that the Examiners cannot recommend the application be accepted when so much evidence is missing and the SoS should come to the same conclusion when considering the proposal on merit”.

You may also want to address some of the questions that still haven’t been answered, the issues that still haven’t been resolved and the assessments that still haven’t been completed. We’ve compiled a list of these, below, drawn from a variety of sources, including the Inspectors themselves.

 We’ve now passed the final round of public hearings on the Botley West Solar Farm application, led by the Planning Inspectorate. With just weeks left in the examination stage of the process, we still need to raise further funds to ensure our expert team, including our Planning Barrister, Hashi Mohamed, and our Planning Consultants can continue their crucial work - which will be needed even after the examination stage ends.

Thanks to your incredible support so far, we’ve been able to produce over 18 detailed, well-researched submissions and expert responses at every examination deadline. You may have seen Hashi Mohamed, along with our landscape expert Sara Boland and heritage specialist Hannah Hamilton-Rutter, powerfully representing our community during the most recent hearings.

Their expertise, and the high standard of professional representation that sets us apart is only possible because of your donations.

We’ve also started gaining national attention. The recent Observer article, “Heated debate: why Churchill’s birthplace lies at the heart of UK solar battle,” featured our barrister, Hashi Mohamed and shone a spotlight on our campaign.

So please donate today. Every gift, large or small, makes a real difference and helps us continue to stand up for our community.

The Local Solution

Solar energy should be used specifically to meet local demands and directly benefit local communities, not big landowners and overseas companies.

1. Solar panels should be on house, office and warehouse roofs throughout Oxfordshire
2. Solar panels should be situated on brown field sites (Didcot Power Station, for example, which is already linked to the Grid).
3. Community solar farms should be encouraged. These are funded, designed and run directly under community control, and service just the community resulting in benefits to everyone’s electric bills.

And there are other imaginative means of providing green energy. These are just four: 

• Smaller scaled wind turbines can be used locally to serve a community.
• France has designed trees whose ‘leaves’ turn in the wind. One tree can provide an estimated 40% of the annual electricity for a house.
• Switzerland is putting solar panels between the rails of their entire railway network.
• In America, transparent solar ‘windows’ can, experts believe, power 40% of America

The National Solution

As well as a national rollout of these local solutions we have offshore windpower which offers peak electricity in the dark winter months when the UK most needs energy and when solar panels are least efficient. And, of-course, there are other offshore energy sources – wave power, tidal power etc already in use.

Finally, Andrew Tettenborn, Professor of Law at Swansea Law School sums it up in the Spectator: “In the dash for Green Energy “corporate capital is being handed a heaven- sent opportunity at the expense of you, me and the country we live in at least as regards solar power (Government policy) is not working for the benefit of the people ……..

but instead seems to favour a more international clientele.”

All of this means we don’t need old fashioned, large scale, inefficient solar ‘farms’.