Developers who want to build giant solar farms have had their plans thwarted after politicians went against experts' recommendations and refused both projects.
This comes after householders expressed their concerns for the impact on "rural Oxfordshire".
Both applications for land north of Manor Farm in Noke near Otmoor and Stratton Audley near Bicester - put forward by applicants Oxford New Energy and RWE Renewables respectively - had their proposals discussed at a Cherwell District Council meeting on July 11.
The Noke solar farm - intended to exist temporarily for 40 years - would have been located on 43.78 hectares of agricultural land while the Stratton Audley farm would have spanned around 59.4 hectares.
READ MORE: Oxford Botley Road closed for 'another year', leader says
Officers had recommended councillors should grant permission to the developments but councillors decided to go against their wishes and both were refused.
Objecting to the Noke solar farm, a public speaker said: "Solar farms represent a hugely inefficient use of land.
"These solar panels will cover 77.5 acres of green belt - larger than Noke and Oddington and comparable to the size of Islip."
A member of the Campaign for Protection of Rural Oxfordshire added: "There surely cannot be any justification at all for blighting a precious landscape like Otmoor."
This comes as a speaker against the Stratton Audley farm said: "We ask you not to lose the essence of what rural Oxfordshire is about."
The applications for both were eventually put forward for refusal and councillors voted this through with the exception of a few Labour politicians who voted against the refusal, while some other councillors abstained.
Speaking out in favour of the Stratton Audley application, a developer from RWE Renewables, who is also an ecologist, said he was speaking in the backdrop of an "era-defining climate crisis".
He added: "The environmental aspects of this application are unequivocal.
"The solar farm would save over 1.3million tonnes of CO2 compared to fossil fuel generation."
He noted there had been "no objection" from formal consultees and there had been a "number of letters in support" from residents.
A supporter of the Noke solar farm, involved with the application, Jonathan Thompson said: "It is crucial that this solar farm comes forward in this location to meet local and national climate change goals."
Mr Thompson also added the applicant had "consulted extensively" with the community before applying and "made a number of changes" in response such as taking two fields out of the proposals.
Conservative councillor David Rogers put forward the motion to refuse the solar farm in Stratton Audley which was a decision he said he had made "with his heart".
Help support trusted local news
Sign up for a digital subscription now: https://www.oxfordmail.co.uk/subscribe/
As a digital subscriber you will get:
- Unlimited access to the Oxford Mail website
- Advert-light access
- Reader rewards
- Full access to our app
About the author
Noor is the Local Democracy Reporter for Oxfordshire who covers political stories from across the county.
She began working as a journalist in Oxford in September 2023 having graduated from the University of Oxford.
Noor was trained at the News Associates journalism school and can be found on X through the handle @NoorJQurashi
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel