Proposal:
P24/S3557/FUL | Development of an Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) and associated site access, landscaping, and ancillary cabling works for grid connection. | Land off Lower Road Garsington OX44 9BN
Our Response:
OPT was established in 1927 as a charity and local amenity society with the principal aim of conserving and enhancing Oxford and its setting. It takes a forward thinking and positive approach to development, preserving the best of the old and encouraging the best of the new. It is committed to ensuring that Oxford can continue to flourish and prosper, whilst protecting its historic character and setting. OPT owns around 1,000 acres of land in and around Oxford, promoting increased biodiversity and making green space available for local people to benefit from and enjoy. A large proportion of this land lies within the Oxford Green Belt.
The application site detailed above sits within the Oxford Green Belt, identified within the 2015 Oxford Green Belt Study as Land Parcel Reference: Broad Area 6 (BA6). This particular Green Belt Parcel is highlighted as being important in both preserving the setting and special character of historic towns, and in assisting in safeguarding the countryside from encroachment. It is for these roles which the parcel is graded as high value within the 2015 Oxford Green Belt Study.
We acknowledge the proposed scheme’s necessity, and the importance of developing infrastructure which supports the future stability and security of the city’s power.
It is unfortunate that the proposed application site protrudes further into the Green Belt despite its proximity to the application site for a similar scheme set out under application P24/S3405/FUL. The Trust would like to query as to whether a larger combined site would have less of an impact on the significance of the Green Belt, occupying the same footprint whilst containing development within just one site.