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The Government has rejected plans for the controversial Botley West Solar Farm, a decision welcomed by Layla Moran, who said ministers had listened to concerns raised by local communities and the planning inspectorate.
The MP for Oxford West and Abingdon said the proposal had failed to address significant issues identified during the planning process and should have been sent back to the drawing board after the planning inspectorate recommended refusal earlier this year.
In a statement following the decision, Ms Moran said: “The climate crisis is real, and it’s imperative for energy schemes like this to be constructed with communities at their heart.”
She argued that any project of this scale should be backed by transparent funding arrangements, meaningful community benefits and a credible delivery plan.
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(Image: Oxford Mail)
According to the MP, the proposed solar farm would have provided community benefits worth just £440,000 a year, which she claimed was significantly lower than comparable schemes elsewhere in the country.
“Botley West had none of these things,” she said.
“There was also significant uncertainty about the source of funds,” she said. “I have raised concerns about Russian connections behind the developers in the House of Commons, but never received assurances I would have hoped on this point.”
While plans had envisaged a connection by 2029, she said recent information from National Grid suggested this would not be possible until at least the end of 2031.
Ms Moran also questioned whether electricity generated by the development would have benefited the wider grid, citing reports that much of the power could instead have been directed towards a local data centre.
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