Botley West Solar Farm’s deadline extension follows a lengthy approval process, with the site initially proposed in November 2022.
September 3, 2026
The deadline for a decision on Botley West Solar Farm’s development consent has been extended, as the government has allowed more time to consider the application.
The news comes as part of an Energy Infrastructure Planning Projects statement released by Martin McCluskey, minister for local energy and jobs.
The application for development consent was submitted by Photovolt Development Partners (PVDP) on behalf of SolarFive Ltd, under the Planning Act 2008. The examination of the application closed on 13 November 2025; on 24 March 2026, the government set the decision deadline to 10 September, which has now been extended to 10 November.
McCluskey explained: “I have decided to allow an extension and set a new deadline… for deciding this application. This is to enable my department and other interested parties to consider further information received from the applicant.”
On completion, Botley West could deliver 840MW of renewable power to the national grid. It will connect to a National Grid substation near Farmoor reservoir in Oxfordshire and has an anticipated grid connection date of Autumn 2029.
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As of the 2024 proposals, Botley West’s development site covers 1,300 hectares – 890 of which would be covered by installed panels. While this site plan was a reduction from its original proposed size of 1,400 hectares with 1,000 hectares of panels, it is still classed as a nationally significant infrastructure project (NSIP) under the Planning Act 2008.
The site plan reduction was issued in March 2024, when the local council requested revisions to minimise the farm’s scale and impact on Oxfordshire’s environment.
For PVDP, the project is a £800 million investment in both renewable energy and the local area. The site proposals include new foot and cycle paths across the farm, community benefits, and a minimum biodiversity net gain of 70%.
Regarding the site’s future following the application deadline extension, the planning inspectorate stated that the decision was made “without prejudice” to whether the proposed solar farm would be granted or refused development consent.
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Catie Owen
Contributing writer
Since 2019, Catie has been writing news, interviews, client content and editing magazines. In recent years, her interest in sustainability has led her to pursue renewable energy as her primary beat. Having written primarily about solar energy and storage, Catie also enjoys covering the positive human impact of renewable technology.
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