The government has refused development consent for Botley West, a proposed solar farm of up to 840 megawatts in West Oxfordshire. The decision was taken on 10 November 2026 by energy minister Baroness Curran on behalf of the Energy Secretary.
The application was made by Photovolt Development Partners on behalf of SolarFive Ltd. The site spanned land in West Oxfordshire, Cherwell and the Vale of White Horse, split into northern, central and southern areas joined by cabling, with its own main substation and six secondary substations.
Why it was turned down
National policy starts with a presumption in favour of large energy projects. In this case the minister concluded that the harm would outweigh the benefits. The decision letter lists the main reasons:
- substantial harm to the Oxfordshire Green Belt
- harm to several designated heritage assets, including the setting of the Blenheim Palace World Heritage Site
- significant adverse effects on landscape and views
- remaining risks to aviation safety, linked to London Oxford Airport, which the letter calls an unacceptable risk to public safety
- problems with how the applicant assessed and planned to restore the best and most versatile farmland
The four inspectors who examined the scheme had also recommended refusal in their February 2026 report. They added that consent might be possible if a list of outstanding issues was resolved. The minister found that this had not happened.
A long road to a decision
The application went in on 14 November 2024 and was examined between May and November 2025. The government then pushed back its decision deadline twice, first to 10 September and then to 10 November 2026, while it sought more information.
Late in the process the developer proposed design changes. According to the decision letter, these reduced the installed capacity by 219 MWp and cut about 130 hectares of panels. The developer’s estimate of homes powered fell from about 330,000 to 275,000. The minister noted that some application documents still used the older figure.
What happens next
A refusal under the Planning Act 2008 can only be challenged by judicial review. A claim must be lodged with the High Court within six weeks.
What it means
Botley West shows that the strong policy weight given to clean power can still be outweighed when a site is in the Green Belt, close to a World Heritage Site and near an airport. Recent approvals such as Great North Road and the Green Hill and Steeple solar farms suggest that site choice, not solar itself, decided this case.