Posts by Nemone Caldwell

CPRE will be presenting at the final open hearing for the Botley West Solar Farm proposal on 10 October 2025. This marks the last opportunity for organisations and members of the public to share their views on the application. Our statement will focus on key areas of concern — including the continuing lack of data…

The Joint South Oxfordshire and Vale of White Horse Local Plan 2041 has hit a major hurdle. Following the Inspectors’ hearings this summer, we’ve just learned that the Plan has been recommended for withdrawal for failing to meet its Duty to Cooperate. This is very disappointing news. CPRE Oxfordshire had supported the Plan, which proposed…

We were delighted to welcome the National CPRE Board to Oxfordshire in September for their awayday, giving us a valuable opportunity to highlight both the challenges and the successes we are seeing across the county. The day began with lunch at the inspirational FarmEd, where co-founder Ian Wilkinson shared the story behind the project and…

CPRE Oxfordshire has submitted further responses to the Planning Inspectorate as part of the ongoing examination into the proposed Botley West Solar Farm. Our concerns centre on two key issues: the lack of transparency in soil data provided by Blenheim Estate, and the threat to Oxfordshire’s most productive farmland. Missing Soil Data Blenheim Estate has…

Thames Water has revealed that costs for the controversial proposed Abingdon Reservoir have soared from £2.2 billion to between £5.5 billion and £7.5 billion, a tripling of the original figure. This startling increase will fall largely on bill-payers across the region. Thames Water attributes the sharp rise to new geological and hydrological investigations, which revealed…

CPRE Oxfordshire has responded to West Oxfordshire Local Plan 2041 consultation and while we welcome many of the intentions set out in the draft, we believe important changes are needed if the Plan is to protect our countryside and communities effectively. You can see our full response on the 2025 Consultation Responses section of the…

CPRE Oxfordshire has responded to Oxford City Council’s Local Plan 2042 consultation, warning that the draft plan requires significant revision before progressing to the next stage. Our submission highlights serious concerns over the treatment of green spaces, housing numbers, and the consultation process itself, which is summarised below. You can see our full response on…

A development-led power shift could risk Oxfordshire’s countryside, climate goals, and community voice. CPRE Oxfordshire is raising serious concerns over the “Greater Oxford” unitary authority proposal, which would swallow up large parts of the Oxford Green Belt — a landscape specifically protected to prevent urban sprawl and preserve the city’s unique character. The proposal, put…

This week the High Court dismissed our challenge of the government’s decision not to hold a public inquiry into the controversial Abingdon Reservoir, part of Thame’s Water’s Water Resource Management Plan (WRMP), despite concerns about lack of transparency, ecological risk, misleading forecasts and financial recklessness. The decision follows a 2-day Judicial Review brought by SAFERWaterS…