Why Botley West matters to the whole UK
Our Make Botley West Solar Farm Fair campaign is focused on ensuring that the UK’s largest proposed solar farm delivers real and lasting benefits to the local communities that will host it. But this isn’t just an Oxfordshire issue, it’s a national one.
Across the UK, many more large-scale solar developments are in the pipeline. If we can get the community benefit approach right at Botley West, we can help shape a fairer model for projects nationwide.
You can see the full list of national upcoming large-scale energy projects and filter by solar here.
A chance to set a national standard
In Scotland, there is a well-established voluntary scheme that has made community benefit contributions from renewable energy developers to their host communities the norm.
However, there is no such requirement in England, whether legal or voluntary. This means that these large-scale projects being planned may bring little or no benefits to the places that host them.
We have an opportunity to change that, starting with the Make Botley West Solar Farm Fair Campaign.
What does a ‘fair share’ look like?
The ‘Make Botley West Solar Farm Fair campaign is calling for 2% of the project’s annual revenue to be allocated directly to local communities, should the project go ahead. This funding could support vital initiatives such as:
- Energy efficiency upgrades for homes, schools, and businesses
- Improvements to community facilities
- Support for those most affected by fuel poverty.
This represents long-term, real improvements, not just small one-off payments.
A neutral campaign with a clear message
Low Carbon Hub is not taking a position on whether Botley West should go ahead. Instead, we are focused on a core aim: ensuring that communities get real long-term benefits from the transition to clean energy.
This is about a just transition – one that is clean and better for the planet, but also better for people.
Sign the petition and help set the standard
Help ensure a fair deal for communities as we transition to renewable energy. Sign the petition and support the campaign.
What people are saying:
This isn’t just about one solar farm. If we get this right here, it could become a national model – showing how large-scale renewables can genuinely benefit the places they’re built in. We need to make Botley West Solar Farm fair.
Dr Barbara Hammond, CEO, Low Carbon Hub
Botley West has the potential to set the benchmark for meaningful community benefit for the host communities of large solar installations – and there are many more on the way.
Sarah Couch, low carbon community group GreenTEA (Transition Eynsham Area)
Renewable installations can and should do more than provide clean energy. Communities should also benefit, whether through outright or shared ownership of the project or by allocating a share of the revenue to community initiatives. Communities across the country stand to benefit from making large scale projects like Botley West fair.
Emma Bridge, Community Energy England
Solar power is now the cheapest way to produce the electricity we need, but as with all sources of power there are impacts. We need to make sure that the benefits of these new power stations are shared fairly here and across the UK.
Chris Church, Oxford Friends of the Earth