Plans to build what would become Europe’s largest solar farm have been plunged into doubt following “months of scrutiny”.
The case for renewables looks stronger than ever, as the war on Iran continues to send oil and gas prices soaring. Recent analysis shows that solar, which has been identified as the cheapest form of clean energy, saved Europe €3 billion last month by lowering its reliance on fossil fuel imports.
However, building renewable infrastructure has become increasingly controversial – with many Europeans divided by wind turbines and solar panels taking over their green spaces.
Botley West Solar Farm, which was first pitched in September 2022, has a target of being connected to the grid by autumn 2029.
Located in Oxfordshire, England, the farm could deliver 840 megawatts of clean energy, enough to power roughly 330,000 homes. This represents 1.2 per cent of the UK’s solar capacity targets by 2035.
Photovolt Development Partners (PVDP), the company behind the £800 million (around €916.43 million) project, says the farm will also help the country reduce carbon emissions and improve its energy security.
While PVDP has vowed to deliver a minimum biodiversity net gain of at least 70 per cent, nearby residents have urged the company to scale down its ambitious project over concerns about the impact it may have on the natural area.
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Ian Hudspeth, the former leader of Oxfordshire County Council, who lives in one of the areas included in the proposals, argues the farm would create an “ocean of glass and steel” across the countryside.
A campaign group has been set up to protest the launch. Stop Botley West argues that installing so many solar panels could have a detrimental impact on the amount of crops grown in the area, and says current plans span too close to the UNESCO World Heritage site Blenheim Palace.
The group also claims that there will be loss of wildlife habitat, increased risk of flooding and an “unprecedented” visual impact on the area.
Nick Eyre from the University of Oxford’s Environmental Change Institute says many concerns about food impact are “hugely exaggerated”.
“We can produce food much more efficiently, we know how to do that,” he tells the BBC. “To put it in perspective, one per cent of the area [of the UK] is golf courses. I don’t hear anybody saying golf courses are a threat to food security.”
Planning inspectors sent a report on the proposal for Botley West to Energy Secretary Ed Miliband in February. Under UK planning law, this means a decision has to be announced within three months (10 May), unless a statement is made declaring a new deadline will be set.
However, the UK government has now confirmed that a decision on the solar farm will be delayed by four months, until 10 September.
“This is to enable my Department to seek further information from the applicant with sufficient time to allow for consideration of this information by other interested parties,” Martin McCluskey, Minister for Energy Consumers, says.
“The decision to set the new deadline for this application is without prejudice to the decision on whether to grant or refuse development consent.”
Professor Alex Roger, chair of Stop Botley West, says: “We welcome the Secretary of State’s decision to seek further information from the Applicant, and to allow sufficient time for consideration by interested parties such as the Stop Botley West community group."
Euronews Earth has contacted PVDP for comment.
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