A proposal to power nearly all households in an Oxfordshire town from a solar farm is being explored.

Ampyr Solar Europe (ASE) is developing plans for a solar farm and battery energy storage system between Brize Norton and Curbridge, in West Oxfordshire.

The facility will cover 46 hectares (114 acres) between Witney Road and the A40 and could supply the electricity needs of upwards of 12,000 homes a year, which is equivalent to 100 per cent of all households in Witney, said the solar energy company.

It would reduce CO2 emissions by approximately 500,000 tonnes over its 40-year lifespan "and is therefore a key part of the UK climate and energy security targets, as well as the West Oxfordshire’s regional climate ambitions", the firm said.

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The facility has an expected generating capacity of up to 30MW and will also include a Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) with a capacity of up to 30 MW, enabling solar energy to be stored and then released into the grid when the power is needed most.

An Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) screening request was submitted to West Oxfordshire District Council in April and the council decided in May that an EIA is not required.

This does not mean environmental surveys are not required, just that the planning application does not need to be accompanied by an Environmental Statement.

ASE states in a brochure online: "Environmental assessments are ongoing and include analysis detailing the existing site condition and potential impacts in relation to ecology, heritage and archaeology, landscape and visual, noise, traffic and transport, flood risk, glint and glare, arboriculture and agricultural land classification.

"The outcome of these evaluations will be used to inform the design of the project and will be submitted with the planning application."

A public right of way which runs north to south through the centre of the proposal will remain open and accessible throughout the project’s lifespan and a 15-metre buffer between the PRoW and the solar farm is incorporated into the scheme’s design.

ASE said it aims to submit a planning application to West Oxfordshire District Council later this year before a statutory consultation.

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A community consultation has just closed and the feedback from that will be shared at that time.

If the project is granted planning permission Witney Solar Farm would take approximately six months to be constructed with an operational lifespan of up to 40 years.

ASE said it is looking at ways to help ensure the local community benefits including  a community benefit fund to support local projects, initiatives, or community cooperative electricity and a Community Energy Co-operative, to enable locals to make savings by getting power from the site.