Oxford News
Oxford underground cables to power large new solar farm
The network would go from land running from Botley Bridge to west of West Oxford Primary School in Ferry Hinksey Road off Botley Road.
Initial plans were submitted to Oxford City Council in December 2023, but so far no decision has been made.
On Tuesday, March 17, revised environmental statement documents were submitted to the city council as part of the planning application.
And as a result, the plans are now being reconsulted with the people of Oxford, who can make comments on the application.
The underground cable network is in relation to the Red House Farm solar farm plans in the Vale district near Farmoor.
This was refused by Vale of White Horse District Council twice and is being appealed.
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Enzygo, an agent on behalf of the applicant Red House Solar Limited, said the new environmental statement was submitted and is to be reconsulted in agreement with Oxford City Council.
It said the new statement addresses the “relevant planning policy context, the principle of development, and the temporary and localised impacts arising from the proposed trenching works”.
Planning consultant Jay Saggerson said: “Importantly, the refusal of the solar farm application by Vale of White Horse District Council did not arise from impacts associated with the cable route or grid connection infrastructure.
“The cable route itself does not give rise to significant environmental effects and there are no significant cumulative impacts with nearby development.
“Where minor construction impacts may arise, these can be managed through appropriate phasing and secured through a construction environmental management plan and associated management plans.”
The application site for the underground cables falls within the Oxford green belt.
Red House Solar Farm argues the scheme will contribute towards the security of energy supply in Oxfordshire through provision of a local, renewable energy supply.
On the withdrawn scheme Cumnor Parish Council objected to the “inappropriate development” in the green belt with no special justification and said it would harm views to and from Oxford.
It raised concerns around the potential impact on protected views, heritage, biodiversity and ecology, flood risk and drainage.
“Digging up that road to lay the cable would inevitably give rise to yet another period of at least partial closure of that road, further disrupting our residents’ access to Oxford,” the council said.
Red House Solar Farm is a 49.9MW project on 130–160 acres near Farmoor/Cumnor, designed to power approximately 9,000 to 15,000 homes annually.
The garden has been developed at Folly View Primary School and is designed to support pupil wellbeing, creativity, and personal growth by providing a calming and engaging outdoor space.
Funding for the project was secured through a £1,500 grant from the Tesco Community Grants scheme, made possible by votes from shoppers using blue tokens at the Faringdon store.
Muddy Spades, a local gardening business led by Royston Oxendale, also played a key role in bringing the garden to life by donating plants and building bespoke planters for the space.
Richard Evans, chief executive of Cambrian Learning Trust, said: “This wonderful sensory garden is a testament to what can be achieved when a community comes together with a shared purpose.
“At Cambrian Learning Trust, we are proud to see Folly View Primary School bringing its core values of belonging, kindness, and aspiration to life in such a meaningful way.
“This space will not only enhance pupils’ wellbeing but also inspire curiosity, resilience, and a lifelong love of learning.”
The garden will also support the school’s gardening club, offering pupils hands-on opportunities to care for plants and learn about the environment.
The school has thanked Tesco Faringdon, Muddy Spades, the PTA, and everyone involved in turning the garden into a reality.
UNESCO first adopted March 21 as World Poetry Day during its 30th General Conference in Paris, with the aim of supporting linguistic diversity through poetic expression and increasing the opportunity for endangered languages to be heard.
The heritage organisation said: “World Poetry Day is the occasion to honour poets, revive oral traditions of poetry recitals, promote the reading, writing and teaching of poetry, foster the convergence between poetry and other arts such as theatre, dance, music and painting, and raise the visibility of poetry in the media.”
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This time on Looking Back, we’ve found a selection of fantastic poetry celebrations in Oxfordshire from the year 2014, now 12 years ago.
Language lovers converged for the day of celebration on bookshops, schools, at recitals and conferences.
Take a look back through this Oxford Mail archive gallery to find pictures from a decade ago of World Poetry Day celebrations in Oxfordshire.
We’ve made a gallery of pictures showing all the Oxfordshire spots which have been used for TV and film sets over the years.
Some of the biggest productions filmed here in Oxfordshire include Spectre in the James Bond franchise, which transformed Blenheim Palace in Woodstock into the Palazzo Cardenza in Rome.
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Many period dramas were also created in the county, like the BBC adaptation of Hilary Mantel’s Wolf Hall, which was partly filmed at Chastleton House in the Cotswolds.
Cotswolds villages have been repeatedly transformed and used as filming locations for their historical appeal, like the villages of Brill, Broadwell and Castle Combe.
Find all the pictures in this archive gallery of historic Oxfordshire filming locations here.
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