A planned solar farm on the estate of Churchill’s birthplace has been stopped.

Planning permission for the Botley West solar farm in Oxfordshire, which would have been the largest solar installation in western Europe has been denied.

Proposed by Photovolt Development Partners on land largely belonging to the Blenheim Palace estate, the 840MW project would have covered over 2,000 acres.

The reasons given were that such a development would do substantial harm to the Green Belt, and to the Blenheim Palace Unesco World Heritage Site (the birthplace of Sir Winston Churchill). The Secretary of State’s decision also referenced aviation safety.

This might be the first time the Government has rejected a major solar project, and signals that the renewable projects are coming under closer scrutiny and that the current iteration of the Labour government is perhaps less zealous over net-zero. The permission for the Jackdaw field being another indicator.

Trade association Solar Energy UK chief executive Chris Hewett commented: “This is a regrettable decision. We all know the desperate need for cheaper power and to push expensive gas off the grid, and that’s exactly what solar farms deliver. Moreover, economies of scale mean that the largest developments, such as Botley West, supply the cheapest power.”

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