A 500MW solar farm planned across 2,400 acres in West Oxfordshire is facing strong local opposition. The developer, Low Carbon, says the West Oxfordshire Energy Plant would power about 145,000 homes. Because the project exceeds 100MW, the final decision will go to the energy secretary rather than the local planning authority. A public consultation is planned for early next year. Residents in Grafton, Langford, and Little Faringdon say the scale would turn farmland into an industrial landscape. Some say they are not anti-solar but object to villages being surrounded by panels. Low Carbon says its design will be nature and landscape-led and aims to leave a better environment than before. The project is one of three large solar schemes proposed for Oxfordshire, alongside the 840MW Botley West project. It comes as the UK targets at least 95% clean electricity by 2030. The key question is how much land will be used, and whether grid capacity and biodiversity measures will match the scale.
