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Allowed4 March 20253350890

Burcot Farm, Road Joining Burcot to A4074 Passing Burcot Farm, Abingdon, Oxfordshire, OX14 3GW

Planning appeal 3350890 at Burcot Farm, Road Joining Burcot to A4074 Passing Burcot Farm, Abingdon, Oxfordshire, OX14 3GW (South Oxfordshire District Council) was allowed on 4 March 2025 by Inspector Partington A, following an inquiry. The main issue, as the Inspector framed it: The effect of the proposed development on, and the potential loss of, agricultural land.

the installation of a ground mounted solar photovoltaic array, co- located battery energy storage scheme (BES) together with associated infrastructure; security fencing; CCTV; access gate; on-site Biodiversity Net Gain

Authority
South Oxfordshire District Council
Appeal type
major · Planning Appeal
Procedure
Inquiry
Development
utilities-energy · Other Major Developments
Inspector
Partington A
Postcode
OX14 3GW

Main issues, as the Inspector framed them

  • The effect of the proposed development on, and the potential loss of, agricultural land.

What decided it

The Inspector's conclusion that the proposal would not result in the loss of, or an unacceptable impact on, best and most versatile agricultural land, combined with the substantial benefits of renewable energy generation, which together outweighed the limited heritage and landscape harms.

The substantial and significant benefits of renewable energy generation, energy security, battery storage, biodiversity net gain and economic benefits clearly outweighed the limited heritage harm (less than substantial, lower end) and limited landscape harm, tipping the balance in favour of allowing the appeal.

What the Inspector cited

Development plan policies
Policy DES7Policy DES9Policy ENV1Policy DES1Policy DES2Policy TRANS5Policy ENV2Policy ENV3Policy EP4Policy DES6Policy ENV12
National Planning Policy Framework
Paragraph 57Paragraph 153Paragraph 155Paragraph 187Paragraph 188Paragraph 212Paragraph 215
Judgments
Lee Valley Regional Park Authority, R (on the application of) v Epping Forest District Council & Anor (Rev 1) [2016] EWCA Civ 404; Mead Realisations Limited v Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government and North Somerset Council [2025] EWCA Civ 32; Lullington Solar Park Limited v Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities and South Derbyshire District Council [2024] EWHC 295 (Admin); Bramley Solar Farm Residents Group v Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, Bramley Solar Limited and Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council [2023] EWHC 2842 (Admin)

How the Inspector dealt with each one is set out in the app, in order: the development plan, national policy, housing land supply, other considerations and the planning balance, beside the letter.

See how each was applied

The decision letter

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The authority’s record since 2016 · every decision in 2025

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The main issues, what decided it, the planning balance and the policies and judgments listed as cited are read from the published letter by Town Planner Pro and are our summary, not the Inspector’s words; the letter itself is the record. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Research, not advice.

In the app this decision sits on the map beside every appeal around it, with its letter to read and the main issues, policies and judgments cited picked out.