The Strategic Planning Committee meeting scheduled for Wednesday 20 May 2026 was set to address the appointment of a Chair and Vice-Chair for the upcoming civic year, and to appoint members to the Development Management Sub-Committee. A significant portion of the meeting's documentation focused on the previous Development Control Committee meeting held on 20 October 2025, which had discussed a proposed solar farm and battery energy storage system near Witney.

Appointment of Chair and Vice-Chair

The committee was scheduled to elect a Chair and appoint a Vice-Chair for the civic year 2026/27.

Appointment of the Development Management Sub-Committee

The committee was invited to appoint 12 members to the Development Management Sub-Committee for the 2026/27 civic year. This followed a review of the planning committee function at West Oxfordshire District Council, which led to the renaming of the Development Control Committee to the Strategic Planning Committee and the combination of two area planning sub-committees into a single, district-wide Development Management Sub-Committee. The proposed appointments were to be made in accordance with political proportionality, with 5 members from the Liberal Democrat group, 4 from the Conservative group, 2 from the Labour group, and 1 from the Green group. The report also noted that any member of a political group, having undertaken planning training, could substitute for a member of the Development Management Sub-Committee.

Minutes of the Previous Meeting

The committee was scheduled to approve the minutes of the Development Control Committee meeting held on Monday 20 October 2025.

The minutes from the 20 October 2025 Development Control Committee meeting detailed a discussion regarding a proposed solar farm and Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) on land south of the A40 near Witney. The application, identified as 24/03278/FUL, involved the construction and operation of a ground-mounted solar farm and a BESS, along with associated infrastructure and landscaping.

Concerns were raised by objectors, including Richard and Amanda Matthews, regarding the potential impact on Caswell House, a Grade 2 star listed manor, and its heritage assets, specifically its moat. They argued that the proposed BESS could damage underground aquifers feeding the moat and a spring reservoir, potentially threatening the water supply to Caswell House and a colony of freshwater mussels. They also highlighted risks from flood and fire water, which they believed could pose environmental and public health risks. Policy OS2, concerning the minimisation of impact on neighbouring properties, was cited as relevant.

Agents for the application, Josh Rigby, Michael Breslaw, and Aiden Van de Weyer, presented the case for the development, emphasising its contribution to clean, low-carbon power and the benefits of battery storage. They detailed mitigation measures proposed to address contamination risks, including a lined drainage system, an attenuation tank, and a self-actuating valve designed to isolate and retain fire water within the site. They stated that historical incidents at solar plants had not led to groundwater contamination due to inherent mitigations.

During the discussion, members sought clarity on various points, including the risk of water contamination if the BESS location were moved, the factors considered in its placement, and the effectiveness of proposed mitigations against extreme weather events and fires. The applicant asserted that the risk of contamination was considered negligible with the proposed mitigation. The Fire Brigade Authority had no objections, subject to a Storage Management and Emergency Response Plan.

The Principal Planner noted that while the application had a capacity for generation and storage of 30 MgW, potentially supplying twelve thousand homes and saving half a million tonnes of CO2 over its forty-year lifespan, there were concerns regarding the risk of contamination to the aquifer. The report indicated that the main reason for refusal at a previous Sub-Committee had been this risk. However, officers recommended approval subject to proposed mitigations being undertaken and secured via a Section 106 agreement.

The Development Control Committee debated the potential risks, including gases produced by BESS fires, and the differing expert advice on water contamination. Amendments were proposed and agreed upon, including changes to conditions regarding the timing of operations, the provision of a water standpipe to Caswell House in case of contamination, the inclusion of an additional valve for redundancy, and a post-construction assessment of water and aquifer quality. The application was ultimately determined with these additions to the conditions.

The minutes also recorded the exclusion of the press and public from the meeting for consideration of an exempt item, West End House Witney, where the recommendation from an exempt report was agreed.