what you can do right now
BLADON FOOTPATHS AND CHURCHILL’S GRAVE EVENT 2.00PM 14TH SEP
We would like to invite all our supporters and friends to join a gathering in Bladon and its nearby footpaths. The purpose is to raise awareness of just how close the solar panels proposed for the area would be to the historic church of Bladon and Winston Churchill’s grave and how many footpaths in the area would be engulfed by panels.
We will meet in the churchyard and then walk along the footpath to the fields behind where we may take some photographs. We will supply maps for self-guided walks around the network of footpaths around Bladon Heath for those of you who would like a longer walk after the main gathering - especially to see some special oak trees including the veteran tree featured in the latest consultation (see below)
This is the first event we’ve organised for a while so please come in large numbers - children and dogs especially welcome! - to demonstrate the strength of feeling in the area.
There will be some parking available at the Primary school and maybe at the White House pub but generally, parking is very limited so please either car share or come by public transport if you can. The S7 from Witney stops at the White House pub. The S3 from Oxford stops at the A44 roundabout. Those with an annual pass can park in Blenheim of course!
OTHER WALKS TO ENJOY WHILE YOU CAN!
Dornford Lane in the Northern Section is a wonderful ancient drover’s road and has been chosen by the Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE) for a guided walk (date not yet published). You are very welcome to join that walk if you are a CPRE member. Why not join? They’re a very worthwhile organisation and hugely supportive of SBW.
Near Farmoor in the Southern Section. Oxford’s Green Belt way passes right through here and would have panels on both sides and the huge sub-station nearby.
4th CONSULTATION on a SINGLE VETERAN TREE - ENDS Sun 15 Sept
In case you’ve not heard about this, the developer PVDP is suggesting a change to the boundary to find a cable route at a pinch point on the southern edge of Bladon/Worton Heath which currently goes under a veteran tree. Even with this latest change, the cable is far too close to this specific tree. There is a risk of terrible damage to this tree and other surrounding trees and root systems (see image below).
Please read SBW’s response to this consultation here and send your own response. If you are coming to the Bladon Event on 14th September (details above) you just have time to see the tree for yourself and then send in your own response to PVDP (info@botleywest.co.uk) before the consultation ends on 15 Sept.
NOW IT’s GETTING SERIOUS - CAN YOU HELP?
The application for the Botley West Solar Farm proposal has now completed three rounds of public consultation and the Planning Inspectorate expects it to be submitted in about three months’ time on 1 November 2024.
Meanwhile, the new Labour government has hit the ground running with its plans for a huge increase in solar energy and other renewables. This was kick-started by Secretary of State Ed Miliband’s approval of three large solar farms within three days of taking office. One of them, Sunnica Energy Farm in Suffolk and Cambridgeshire, was given the go-ahead despite the Planning Inspectorate's recommendation to refuse the application.
The UK government’s plans to confront the climate crisis rely on the planning system for Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects (NSIPs) like Botley West that is heavily weighted in favour of the developers – so we have a Herculean task ahead of us.
Nevertheless, the Stop Botley West’s campaign and our hundreds of supporters remain strong in the conviction that Botley West is a poorly conceived project that does not belong in the proposed location. We are determined to do everything in our power to protect our precious historic environment, landscape and communities from the enormous harm this development would cause.
We are intent on building the strongest possible case against the development as it currently stands and in stopping or significantly reducing the scale of it. We are gearing up to deliver our case in the most effective way in the forthcoming Examination Stage of the planning process.
We are therefore now at the point where we must engage experienced planning specialists and legal counsel in order to give our communities the best possible chance of a positive outcome. This kind of expert advice and support comes at a significant cost. We are therefore reaching out to our supporters for help in boosting our finances at this critical stage.
If you are one of our many supporters who have already given very generously to help Stop Botley West’s running expenses – thank you, we are extremely grateful for that support.
Now, we are asking if you are in a position to make a donation to help us fund the best possible expert team at this critical time in the campaign.
Donations of any size are very welcome through our website, but if you are in a position to give a significant donation and would like to know more about what this would help us to achieve, please do get in touch by e-mailing our Chair: alex.rogers@stopbotleywest.com
Many thanks for your continued support.
Prof. Alex D Rogers
Addresses for Letters
- The Planning Inspectorate botleywestsolar@planninginspectorate.gov.uk
- Your MP calum.miller@oxonlibdems.uk // layla.moran.mp@parliament.uk
- Oxfordshire County Council: Cllr Liz Leffman (Leader) liz.leffman@oxfordshire.gov.uk // Cllr Andrew Gant (Transport) andrew.gant@oxfordshire.gov.uk
- Leader of WODC andy.graham@oxfordshire.gov.uk
- Principal Planning Officer WODC andrew.thomson@westoxon.gov.uk
- Leader of Vale of White Horse DC Bethia.Thomas@whitehorsedc.gov.uk
- Leader of Cherwell DC david.hingley@cherwell-dc.gov.uk
- Find Other District Councillors here https://www.gov.uk/find-your-localcouncillors
- Find Your Parish Council here
- Oxford Times/News Quest letters@oxfordtimes.co.uk or Miranda.Norris@newsquest.co.uk
- Newspapers - Contact details available on newspapers’ own websites
The Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE) are doing a cracking job of raising awareness, gathering support and influencing MPs and the Government to legislate for rooftop solar rather than huge ground based projects. They are extremely supportive of SBW, supplying terrific help and using their nationwide network to help our cause too. We are therefore very keen that our supporters should be their supporters too!
Here are some ways you can help:
SUPPORT THE STOP BOTLEY WEST CAMPAIGN BY MAKING A DONATION
Any donation you can give will be tremendously useful. You can make a donation here. Thank you!
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