The Telegraph, 14 December 2024
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The Telegraph, 14 December 2024
The Times, 15 November 2024
Mail Online, 10 November 2024
The Oxford Mail, 10 November 2024
Sunday Telegraph, 10 November 2024
Daily Telegraph, 5 November 2024
The Oxford Mail, 22 October 2024
The Oxford Mail, 8 August 2024
The Telegraph, 6 August 2024
The Sunday Times, 4 August 2024
The Times, 20 July 2024
Oxford Mail, 25 June 2024
Witney Gazette, article by Miranda Norris, 1st May 2024
The Sunday Times, article by Ben Spencer, 28th April 2024
The Oxford Times, article by Miranda Norris, 18th April 2024
The Telegraph, article by Emma Gatten
The Times, article by Stephen Petty
The Week, article by Rebecca Messina, 18th April 2024
The Guardian, article b Flavia Lopes, 18 April 2024
The Times, article by Adam Vaughan, Environmental Editor and Will Humphries, Community Correspondent, 20 April 2024
If the BWSF proposal is such a great way to provide the UK with renewable energy – how come there is so much information that we are not being told?
Most recently, Private Eye has questioned the change in heart of Blenheim's trustees, supporting a solar farm that could challenge UNESCO status - read more here.
Private Eye are also looking behind the greenwashing to find out what is going on – see their investigation here, highlighting Merton pulling out of the proposal. Previous articles available here and here and here.
Helpfully, Private Eye has also covered the story in their podcast, explaining the importance of this issue. You can listen to it here (coverage starts at 20m 10s).
On 10th October a group of Stop Botley West volunteers joined with CPRE Oxfordshire members to explore the heritage and importance of Dornford Lane in the Parish of Wootton, which is currently under threat from the plans for Botley West Solar Power Station.
ITV Meridian News covered the event and you can watch their report which was broadcast on 10th October below.
Listen to Anthony Thompson speaking to Witney Radio on Friday’s Community Matters Show
The Botley West proposal and how it will affect YOU
Presentation by Prof. Alex David Rogers, Co-chair of Stop Botley West
Calum Miller, Member of Parliament for Bicester & Woodstock
I continue to support the need for a transition away from energy produced from fossil fuels and I welcome the new government's focus on this. I support the emphasis on planning standards to make rooftop solar standard and welcome the recognition from the Secretary of State that we need a comprehensive approach to land use. We also desperately need investment in the National Grid so that it can accept and support new electricity supply.
Despite this, I share many of the specific concerns expressed to me about the Botley West scheme. I do not support the current proposal and have responded to the targeted consultation, urging the developers to engage more meaningfully with the legitimate concerns of local residents and businesses. I am very disappointed to learn from a number of sources that, despite writing to the developers to express specific concerns or request specific further information, there has been no response. The recent targeted consultation was a good opportunity to demonstrate to local residents and their representatives that they had taken on board the many comments provided in writing and in person as part of the Phase 2 consultation that concluded in February. I am therefore disappointed that the updated proposals make minimal changes to reflect these comments. Where changes are proposed, a number of residents have informed me that there is insufficient detail (for example in the thumbnail maps) for them to comment accurately. They have also said that they feel there was inadequate publicity of this consultation.
I will continue to do all that I can to press the developers to engage more meaningfully with local residents and to take more account of the concerns being raised. I will continue to work with all local MPs and councillors to ensure our voices are heard. I will also seek a meeting with Ed Miliband, the Secretary of State, to ensure that he is fully aware of the local situation that needs to be taken into account should he be asked in future to consider this proposal.
Layla Moran MP, Liberal Democrat
I fully understand the strong feelings of the local community towards the proposed Botley West Solar Farm. Many residents have raised serious questions about the scale of the proposal, its impact on the landscape, and the financial links of the developers.
I firmly believe that we need to address climate change, and that investing in renewable energy plays a vital part in that fight. But we have seen a complete lack of investment or strategy from this government that balances the needs of biodiversity, energy and food production.
I am concerned that in the Botley West Scheme we are seeing a deficit of local democracy and I have raised this directly in Parliament. The Phase 2 consultation has been completely developer-led with the ultimate planning decision being made by central government. My concern is that in by-passing local communities in this way, critical local knowledge will be lost.
Many residents have voiced serious concerns to me about the consultation process, with poorly briefed representatives at consultation events, poor visualisations of how the scheme would look and lack of engagement with villages such as Yarnton.
As to the proposal itself, residents are right to point out that we need renewables, and solar is part of that mix. There exists several key concerns raised by residents. They tell me that:
You may be interested to read the comments submitted by the Vale of White Horse District Council https://www.whitehorsedc.gov.uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2024/02/2024-02-06-Vale-S42-Response.pdf
As it stands, I am not convinced the developers have sufficiently answered constituents’ concerns or made the case that this is the right solution for Oxfordshire.
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