Botley West Solar Farm: Plan needs 'considerable improvements', says council

A 10-week public consultation on the solar farm plans ended a fortnight ago

Plans for a new solar farm in the Oxfordshire countryside still need "considerable improvements", a council has said.

The 1,000-hectare (2,471-acre) Botley West Solar Farm would cover sites near Botley, Kidlington and Woodstock.

West Oxfordshire District Council said there were "multiple areas of concern" with the proposal, including the impact it would have on the landscape.

The developer previously said it would consider all feedback.

It follows a second phase of public consultations in which more than 1,000 people expressed their views.

Concerns were raised about the effect a solar farm would have on the heritage of the area, local wildlife, the landscape and the wider environment, the authority said.

Developer Photovolt Development Partners (PVDP) said people would "not notice" the solar farm.

There has been strong opposition to the plans and posters appeared claiming the solar farm would be "Russian owned"

PVDP is expected to submit an application for the project to the Planning Inspectorate in the summer.

Andy Graham, the council's leader, said they had been working with local groups and communities to make sure their views were directed to the developer.

"We have also asked the developer to consider a much higher community payment linked to the amount of electricity generated from the site," he added.

The council has previously expressed its disappointment that the proposal would bypass the local planning process, limiting input and decision making at a local level.

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