PLANS to extend the use of a solar far near Oxford have been thwarted by South Oxfordshire District Council.

The planning authority rejected an application from Enso Green Holdings Limited, a joint venture between Enso Energy and the Green Investment Group, for a five-year-extension of Nuneham Courtenay Solar Farm on top of the 35 years already approved.

The solar farm and battery storage facility to the south west of Cowley Substation was first given planning permission in December last year to help generate power for 13,000 homes.

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However, the planning authority found that the 139-hectare solar farm be “harmful to the green belt” and therefore be contrary to the council’s core policy that “whilst renewable energy developments were welcomed, they would not be permitted where the green belt would be significantly harmed”.

The extension was rejected unanimously.

Helen Marshall, of Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE) Oxford, said: “This is good news, albeit the original permission remains, and the site will exist for 35 years.

“We will keep fighting to ensure that solar farms and other development is kept to the right places and not sites in the Oxford Green Belt.

“CPRE Oxfordshire continues to call for a county-wide strategy to plan renewable energy sites”.

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Ms Marshall added that CPRE itself welcomes renewable energy and agrees sites need to be established somewhere but not everywhere.

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Read more from this author

This story was written by Gee Harland. She joined the team in 2022 as a senior multimedia reporter.

Gee covers Wallingford, Wantage and Didcot.

Get in touch with her by emailing: Gee.harland@newsquest.co.uk

Follow her on Twitter @Geeharland

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