Oxfordshire, Proposed Application For A Development Consent Order

TARGETED CONSULTATION - BOTLEY WEST SOLAR FARM

NOTICE PUBLICISING A PROPOSED APPLICATION FOR A DEVELOPMENT CONSENT ORDER (DCO) FOR BOTLEY WEST SOLAR FARM

Photovolt Development Partners GmBH ("PVDP"), on behalf of SolarFive Ltd, of 2 West Street, Henley on Thames, Oxfordshire, England, RG29 2DU (,fthe Applicant") proposes to make an application for a Development Consent Order ("the DCO Application") under Section 37 of the Planning Act 2008 to the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero for the Botley West Solar Farm ("the Scheme").

The Applicant undertook a statutory consultation in relation to its proposed DCO Application between 30 November 2023 and 08 February 2024. As part of the development of the Scheme and having had regard to responses received to its statutory consultation, the Applicant is now undertaking a targeted consultation in relation to specific changes made to its proposals. This targeted consultation is taking place from Friday 14 June to Sunday 28 July 2024.

The Applicant is seeking development consent to construct, operate and maintain, and subsequently decommission a solar farm and associated infrastructure. The solar farm will have an anticipated generation capacity of approximately 840 MWe (1,307 MWp), providing secure and clean energy to the equivalent of approximately 330,000 homes. The proposed Scheme lies within the administrative areas of Cherwell District Council (CDC), West Oxfordshire District Council (WODC) and Vale of White Horse District Council (VWHDC) District Councils, and Oxfordshire County Council (OCC).

The Scheme comprises the following elements:

• Retained Agricultural Use of the land with areas given over to horticulture;

• Solar PV Modules;

• Power Converter Stations (inverters, transformers and supporting equipment);

• High Voltage Transformers, including switchgear;

• Onsite cabling (33kV and 275kV);

• National Grid Electricity Transmission (NGET) 400kV substation;

• Fencing, security cameras and lighting;

• New vehicular accesses from the public highway and internal maintenance tracks;

• New green infrastructure including trees and hedgerows and other planting measures to enhance biodiversity; and

• New footpaths and cycleways.

All of the targeted consultation materials, containing details of the changes being consulted on, are available to view online from Friday 14 June 2024 on the Botley West Solar Farm website at https://botleywest.co.uk/documentjibrary.html.

Should you wish to receive copies of the targeted consultation materials in hard copy or alternative formats free of charge, please contact us using the details provided:

Call our freephone information line on 0808 175 3085 (Open from 9am - 7pm Monday to Wednesday, and 9am - 5pm on Thursdays and Fridays. A voicemail service will operate outside of these hours)

• Write to use at FREEPOST BWSF (you do not need a stamp)

• Email us at info@botleywest.co.uk

Copies of the targeted consultation materials including an Information Change Note will be available for inspection free of charge from Friday 14 June 2024 to Sunday 28 July 2024 at the following locations:

The scheme is Environmental Impact Assessment development ("EIA development"), as defined by the Infrastructure Planning (Environmental Impact Assessment) Regulations 2017. This means an Environmental Statement will be submitted as part of the DCO Application, and a Preliminary Environmental Information Report ("PEIR") formed part of the statutory consultation material.

Any person may comment on the update proposals or otherwise respond to this publicity. Responses must be received by 23:59 on Sunday 28 July 2024. A targeted consultation response form is available on our website. When providing your response, please include your name and address, or if you would prefer your comments to be anonymous, your postcode only. Please also confirm the nature of your interest in the scheme. You can provide written feedback in the following ways:

• By completing our online feedback form on our website: www.botleywest.co.uk. The link to the form can be found on the Home page, as well as on the Targeted Consultation page on the website.

• By emailing the project team at info@botleywestco.uk

• By writing to us, free of charge, to FREEPOST BWSF. You do not need a stamp.

Responses must be received no later than 23:59 on Sunday 28 July 2024.

The Applicant will consider and have regard to all responses in developing the DCO Application once targeted consultation has closed. The responses will be summarised in a Consultation Report and published on the project website when the DCO Application is submitted. Therefore, in providing any comment, it should be borne in mind that substance of it may be communicated to others as part of the Consultation Report.

If you would like further information about this notice, the consultation or the scheme, please contact the project team by using one of the contact methods provided above.

Peter Gerstmann

20th June 2024

Managing Director, Photovolt Development Partners

Email us at Call our Freephone information line: Write to us at: Visit our website: info@botleywest.co.uk 0808175 3085 FREEPOST BWSF www.botleywest.co.uk

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