Posts by Nemone Caldwell

Image credit: Oxford Flood and Environment Group The Oxford Flood Alleviation Scheme, which would see a five km long channel dug through the western floodplain of the city, will be examined by the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs later this year. The inquiry was called by Secretary of State Thérèse Coffey following objections from…

Artists’ impression of future A4130 – credit Oxfordshire County Council **UPDATE – as of 25th July the Secretary of State has called in the planning application and decided to hold a local inquiry. For more information download the letter sent from Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government to Oxfordshire County Council below. Oxfordshire County…

CPRE Oxfordshire is disappointed that a Chalgrove solar farm has been granted permission to extend the temporary operating period. It illustrates an increasing tendency for developers to request longer operating periods once the original application has been permitted. Temporary permission is given for solar farms on the basis they are damaging to the landscape and…

Oxfordshire County Council is running an online survey asking for your views on the response of Oxford United Football Club (OUFC) to the seven key strategic priorities set out by the council for the use of the land known as ‘the Triangle’.The survey is open until 23rd July 2023. Friends of Stratfield Brake have prepared a response guide,…

A new report from CPRE shows how some big housing developers are still exploiting a loophole that enables them to appeal against refusal of planning permission, even in our most iconic landscapes. We’re urgently calling for proposed changes to the planning rules that would stop this happening. The proposed change to the National Policy Planning…

Botley West Solar Farm has submitted their Scoping Report to the Planning Inspector. The Inspectorate is required to adopt a Scoping Opinion within 42 days of receiving a scoping request – which will be the 27th July 2023. At this stage only specified organisations and bodies are consulted, If they fail to respond, it is…

A major new CPRE report has found that over half the solar panels needed to hit national net zero targets could be fitted on rooftops and in car parks. The research, by the UCL Energy Institute, for CPRE, shows that decarbonising the national energy grid requires far less land than feared. Installing solar panels on existing…

South Oxfordshire Councillors have recently recognised that in the near future solar energy may be made redundant by more efficient renewable energy sources which are “on” all the time, rather than only when the sun shines. They are right, not least with South Oxfordshire’s own fusion laboratory working hard at Culham to develop reliable and…

More than eight out of 10 councillors fear local democracy will be eroded unless MPs and peers heed their warnings and amend the government’s Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill, which is close to completing its passage through Parliament. The finding comes from a survey of 672 councillors commissioned by CPRE. It found 69% oppose National…

Join in with our Hedgelife Help Out between 1 and 31 May and help us build a nationwide picture of how healthy our hedgerows are. As part of the Big Help Out, we’re asking people nationwide to check the health of their local hedgerows, and take part in Hedgelife Help Out. Hedgerows are the vital stitching in…