Overview
- The Energy Secretary, following Planning Inspectorate advice, refused the Botley West development consent on Tuesday, 10 November 2026, concluding the scheme would cause unacceptable harms to the area.
- The decision cites specific harms to Green Belt land, the historic setting of UNESCO‑listed Blenheim Palace, wider landscape damage, and aviation safety risks linked to London Oxford Airport.
- Photovolt, the developer, said it was "extremely disappointed and surprised" and will assess its options with a possible judicial review to be filed within six weeks.
- Local campaigners and several Oxfordshire MPs welcomed the refusal as a vindication of community concerns about loss of rural land and biodiversity, while Solar Energy UK called the outcome regrettable for large-scale, low-cost solar deployment.
- The case highlights a wider planning tension: Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects aim to speed big renewable capacity but face strict protections for Green Belt, heritage and aviation safety that can block large countryside solar farms.