Inspectors Review £800 Million Botley West Solar Farm in Oxfordshire

• UK planning inspectors begin a six-month review of the £800 m, 840 MW Botley West Solar Farm, set to power 330,000 homes and boost Oxfordshire’s economy.

The Planning Inspectorate has opened its six-month examination of Botley West Solar Farm, an 840 MW project that would eclipse all existing UK solar installations in scale and output.

Developed by Munich-based Photovolt Development Partners (PVDP), Botley West is designed to generate enough electricity to supply 330,000 households—roughly every home in Oxfordshire—while advancing the government’s goal of 45 GW of installed solar capacity by 2030. Hearings began today at Oxford Town Hall, where a panel of four inspectors will test every aspect of the £800 million scheme, from grid connection and landscape impact to biodiversity gains and community benefits.

PVDP says the project will create thousands of skilled jobs during construction and long-term operations, inject significant revenue into local supply chains, and add millions of pounds in business rates over its lifetime. A dedicated community fund, starting at £200,000 a year, is earmarked for grants to nearby villages, heritage groups and environmental initiatives. The developer also promises a 70 % net gain in biodiversity through habitat creation and the repair of local footpaths and cycleways.

“Botley West offers a rare chance to deliver clean, reliable power at scale while investing directly in Oxfordshire’s economy,” said project director Mark Owen-Lloyd at the opening session. “We’re confident the evidence will show the scheme is both necessary and beneficial.” He added that the county’s power grid remains among the most carbon-intensive in England, making large-scale renewables crucial to local climate targets set in 2019.

Supporters argue the solar farm’s capacity would sharply cut wholesale electricity prices and reduce dependence on gas-fired generation. Critics have raised concerns about visual impact on the rural landscape and the cumulative footprint of solar arrays across the region. The open-floor hearings give residents, councils and interest groups the opportunity to voice support or objections directly to inspectors.

After the examination closes in November, the inspectors will submit a recommendation to the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, who must decide whether to approve or reject the nationally significant infrastructure project.

If consent is granted, construction could start as early as 2027, positioning Botley West as the flagship project in Britain’s accelerating march toward zero-carbon electricity.