Solar farm with battery storage at Land Parcel At Lew, Bampton

The site and surroundings

The 67.9-hectare agricultural site lies between Aston Road and Mount Owen Road, near Aston and Bampton, across three parish areas.

“The Site comprises approximately 67.9 hectares (ha) of land set over a group of seven agricultural fields to the west of the Aston Road and the east of Mount Owen Road. The Site is located approximately 400m of Aston and approximately 1.7km northeast of Bampton. It straddles the boundaries of the three parishes: Curbridge and Lew; Bampton; and Aston, Cote, Chimney and Shifford.”

“The Site is generally bound by mature hedgerows with intermittent trees. The southwest part of the Site is open. The Site is not within any areas of designated planning significance other than at its south eastern extremity, adjacent to Aston Road, where the Site is within Flood Zones 2 and 3.”

Officer report

Earlier application history

An earlier screening opinion concluded that an environmental impact assessment was not required.

“25/01160/SCREEN- EIA Screening Opinion for proposed solar farm. EIA not required.”

Officer report

What officers recommended

Officers recommended approval because renewable energy, battery storage, economic benefits and ecological improvements outweighed identified harms.

“Conversely, the scheme would result in significant economic, social and environmental benefits through the low carbon method of energy generation proposed, resulting in 40MW of electricity generation capacity.”

“Despite partial conflict with the development plan with regard to landscape and visual impact and minerals planning, the proposal is therefore considered to accord with the provisions of the development plan as a whole and the above policy and legislative context with regard to renewable energy development, which provides a material consideration adding weight to the conclusion that the application should be approved.”

Officer report

What consultees said

The highway authority raised no objection subject to conditions, while flood, minerals, landscape, wildlife and heritage concerns remained or required safeguards.

“Oxfordshire County Council, as Local Highway Authority (LHA), raises no objection subject to conditions. The Transport Statement (TS) has been reviewed in detail and, with the recommended safeguards in place, the proposals are considered acceptable in highway and transport terms.”

“Subject to the submission of a revised Flood Risk Assessment (FRA) by the Applicant that addresses satisfactorily all the concerns highlighted by both the Environment Agency (EA) and the Local Lead Flood Authority does not object, but has the following observations and concerns:”

Officer report

Local objections

Bampton Parish Council objected over landscape, tourism, agricultural land and flood risk, while no third-party comments were received.

“Visual impact on landscape and tourism; Loss of arable agricultural land; Contribution to increased flood risk.”

“Notably for an application of this scale, no third party comments have been received.”

Officer report

Who spoke

A parish council representative spoke against the application, and the applicant’s agents spoke in support of it.

What members debated

Members discussed flooding, drainage, the site’s scale and panel locations, heritage harm, traffic through villages and parish benefits.

“Councillor Andrew Ogg, Bampton Parish Council, spoke in objection to the application and raised concerns regarding the impact on local villages and heritage of the surrounding areas, the size and scale of the site and the lack of local benefit. Councillor Ogg stated that the application was not balanced and requested that other locations be considered for an application of this size.”

“The harms to surrounding heritage and impact of traffic to the site on surrounding villages which had been experienced with other similar schemes. The Principal Planner confirmed that a Construction Traffic Management Plan had been included in the conditions. Members asked for confirmation…”

Minutes