®Planning appeal decision
Burcot Farm, Road Joining Burcot to A4074 Passing Burcot Farm, Abingdon, Oxfordshire, OX14 3GW
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
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.
Framework references: 57, 153, 155, 187, 188, 212, 215
Plan policies cited: Policy DES7, Policy DES9, Policy ENV1, Policy DES1, Policy DES2, Policy TRANS5, Policy ENV2, Policy ENV3, Policy EP4, Policy DES6, Policy ENV12
Judgments cited: 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)
The main issues and the deciding factor are read from the published letter by Town Planner Pro; the letter itself is the record. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Research, not advice.