latest Issue – 27th October 2023

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Dear Stop Botley West Supporter –
The SBW campaign has recently asked supporters to write in opposition to John P. Gee & Sons Ltd, who are offering their farming land for development as part of the Botley West proposal.  This has resulted in the Developer, PVDP, represented by Mark Owen-Lloyd emailing the Campaign to say ‘I ask Stop Botley West to please deliver comments directly to the project, rather than to private individuals and residential addresses. This is for the welfare of all involved, and also to ensure that comments regarding the project can be appropriately recorded and responded to.’

 

Additionally, one local resident who supports the proposed power station, has accused the Campaign of ‘intimidation’.

 

Both of these comments are taken very seriously by the Campaign and after discussion we wanted to share our position on these communications.

 

 

SBW’s Position

 

Supporters – and opposers – of the campaign will know that the SBW objective is to stop the proposed Botley West Utility Scale Solar Power Station development. As such, SBW is entitled to use the means open to it in a democratic society and within the law to stop the proposed power station being built.

 

As the Botley West Utility Scale Solar Power Station is counted as a Nationally Significant Development (NSIP), the ability of local communities to have input into the planning process is significantly limited, writing to landowners is one of the few means available to local people to influence the outcome of this proposal.

 

SBW find it astonishing that PVDP accuse the Campaign and members of the public of behaving in a way that may impact the welfare of a few individual landowners, when this proposal will, and arguably already is, affecting the welfare of thousands of residents of West Oxfordshire, Vale of White Horse, and Cherwell District Councils.

 

Therefore, SBW will continue to urge supporters to write to John P. Gee & Sons, as is everyone’s privilege in a fair, democratic and open society.

 

 

Why does the Campaign feel comfortable that this is not ‘intimidation’?

 

The SBW mandate comes from the local communities affected by this proposal, and must point out that a survey by the developers themselves, PVDP, revealed that 80% of residents of the affected area who responded to PVDP’s request for feedback, are against the proposal.

 

This is not surprising, since the proposal will transform the landscape of West Oxfordshire to the detriment of the wellbeing of its residents, visitors, wildlife, and food production.

 

As part of the SBW campaign, supporters were encouraged to write to the Fellows and Governing Body of Merton College, asking them to reconsider offering their land for use in the Botley West Power Station. Merton, after carrying out further research into the project have subsequently withdrawn their land from the proposal, equating to about 5% of the total area for the solar power station.

 

SBW are now expanding this part of the campaign by encouraging supporters to write respectfully to other land holders, whose property forms part of the Botley West proposal, asking them to similarly withdraw. One of these land holders is John P. Gee & Sons Ltd, owned by members of the Gee family who own farming land close to Cumnor in Oxfordshire; 200 acres of that land forms part of the Botley West Power Station proposal, including land which may be intended for the building of a National Grid electricity substation.

 

SBW point out that John P. Gee & Sons is a farming company, and that farming is one of a small number of types of business where Directors often live in a house on the land belonging to the business. It is not “a local farmer” but a farming company, with several Directors. Effectively, they are owner-operators. It is therefore not possible to write to the company without addressing the Directors themselves, in this case, members of the Gee family.

 

Both SBW and its members, including neighbours of the farming business in question who will be directly affected by this proposal, are entitled to write to the Directors of John P. Gee and Sons and request that they reconsider offering their land for this development. This is comparable to what has already been done in writing to the Fellows of Merton College who, as members of its Governing Body, are the Trustees of the college. In the same way, SBW supporters have been writing to the Trustees of Blenheim Estates, who control the great majority of all the land being offered to PVDP.

PVDP now asked that SBW do not send our comments to the landowners involved but address them through PVDP’s PR company itself. However, it is clearly inappropriate that any such letters are routed through PVDP, as they are an appeal by concerned residents in Oxfordshire directly to the landholders themselves.

 

Therefore, the Campaign encourages you to exercise your democratic right by writing to John P. Gee and Sons at Denmans Farm, Farmoor, Oxford, Oxfordshire, OX2 9NJ and respectfully oppose the Directors plans to allow their farmland to become part of the Botley West power station.

 

Best wishes,

The Stop Botley West Campaign

Latest Issue – 27th October 2023

/in /by
Dear Stop Botley West Supporter –
The SBW campaign has recently asked supporters to write in opposition to John P. Gee & Sons Ltd, who are offering their farming land for development as part of the Botley West proposal.  This has resulted in the Developer, PVDP, represented by Mark Owen-Lloyd emailing the Campaign to say ‘I ask Stop Botley West to please deliver comments directly to the project, rather than to private individuals and residential addresses. This is for the welfare of all involved, and also to ensure that comments regarding the project can be appropriately recorded and responded to.’

 

Additionally, one local resident who supports the proposed power station, has accused the Campaign of ‘intimidation’.

 

Both of these comments are taken very seriously by the Campaign and after discussion we wanted to share our position on these communications.

 

 

SBW’s Position

 

Supporters – and opposers – of the campaign will know that the SBW objective is to stop the proposed Botley West Utility Scale Solar Power Station development. As such, SBW is entitled to use the means open to it in a democratic society and within the law to stop the proposed power station being built.

 

As the Botley West Utility Scale Solar Power Station is counted as a Nationally Significant Development (NSIP), the ability of local communities to have input into the planning process is significantly limited, writing to landowners is one of the few means available to local people to influence the outcome of this proposal.

 

SBW find it astonishing that PVDP accuse the Campaign and members of the public of behaving in a way that may impact the welfare of a few individual landowners, when this proposal will, and arguably already is, affecting the welfare of thousands of residents of West Oxfordshire, Vale of White Horse, and Cherwell District Councils.

 

Therefore, SBW will continue to urge supporters to write to John P. Gee & Sons, as is everyone’s privilege in a fair, democratic and open society.

 

 

Why does the Campaign feel comfortable that this is not ‘intimidation’?

 

The SBW mandate comes from the local communities affected by this proposal, and must point out that a survey by the developers themselves, PVDP, revealed that 80% of residents of the affected area who responded to PVDP’s request for feedback, are against the proposal.

 

This is not surprising, since the proposal will transform the landscape of West Oxfordshire to the detriment of the wellbeing of its residents, visitors, wildlife, and food production.

 

As part of the SBW campaign, supporters were encouraged to write to the Fellows and Governing Body of Merton College, asking them to reconsider offering their land for use in the Botley West Power Station. Merton, after carrying out further research into the project have subsequently withdrawn their land from the proposal, equating to about 5% of the total area for the solar power station.

 

SBW are now expanding this part of the campaign by encouraging supporters to write respectfully to other land holders, whose property forms part of the Botley West proposal, asking them to similarly withdraw. One of these land holders is John P. Gee & Sons Ltd, owned by members of the Gee family who own farming land close to Cumnor in Oxfordshire; 200 acres of that land forms part of the Botley West Power Station proposal, including land which may be intended for the building of a National Grid electricity substation.

 

SBW point out that John P. Gee & Sons is a farming company, and that farming is one of a small number of types of business where Directors often live in a house on the land belonging to the business. It is not “a local farmer” but a farming company, with several Directors. Effectively, they are owner-operators. It is therefore not possible to write to the company without addressing the Directors themselves, in this case, members of the Gee family.

 

Both SBW and its members, including neighbours of the farming business in question who will be directly affected by this proposal, are entitled to write to the Directors of John P. Gee and Sons and request that they reconsider offering their land for this development. This is comparable to what has already been done in writing to the Fellows of Merton College who, as members of its Governing Body, are the Trustees of the college. In the same way, SBW supporters have been writing to the Trustees of Blenheim Estates, who control the great majority of all the land being offered to PVDP.

PVDP now asked that SBW do not send our comments to the landowners involved but address them through PVDP’s PR company itself. However, it is clearly inappropriate that any such letters are routed through PVDP, as they are an appeal by concerned residents in Oxfordshire directly to the landholders themselves.

 

Therefore, the Campaign encourages you to exercise your democratic right by writing to John P. Gee and Sons at Denmans Farm, Farmoor, Oxford, Oxfordshire, OX2 9NJ and respectfully oppose the Directors plans to allow their farmland to become part of the Botley West power station.

 

Best wishes,

The Stop Botley West Campaign