Solar farm to power 13,000 homes gets go-ahead

A solar farm that will generate power for about 13,000 homes will go ahead despite a council previously refusing planning permission for it.

Land at Burcot Farm in Burcot, near Berinsfield, Oxfordshire, will be used for the 49.9MW solar farm after the proposal was originally rejected by South Oxfordshire District Council in February 2024.

Devon-based Burcot Solar Farm Limited appealed the decision and a planning inspector approved the application on Tuesday for three fields, which will also be used for a battery storage system.

The land has been used to grow wheat, barley, beans and oilseeds, which have been used to make food for livestock.

While some opponents to the solar farm had suggested the land was "very productive", a report found that its yields were "average".

Planning inspector Alison Partington said the solar farm would be an example of "sustainable development" and that any harm caused by it would be "clearly outweighed" by its benefits.

She said while the solar farm will be used on the land for 40 years and that is a "significant period of time, it is not permanent".

The application was approved following an inquiry, which was held in February.

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