Low Carbon Announced Its Plan To Develop 500 MW West Oxfordshire Energy Park

A project sized to power an entire district

Low Carbon, a UK renewable energy developer, has set out early-stage proposals for a large new solar development in West Oxfordshire, with the company confirming that plans remain at a formative stage. The scheme, known as West Oxfordshire Energy Park, is designed as a solar photovoltaic electricity generating station accompanied by battery energy storage and the electrical infrastructure needed to connect it.

The location is land lying north-west of Lechlade and south-west of Carterton, close to the villages of Langford and Little Faringdon. At full build, the park is expected to reach a generating capacity of 500 MW. According to the company, that output would translate into enough clean electricity each year to supply the equivalent of roughly 145,000 UK homes, a figure the developer notes would cover the whole of the West Oxfordshire district. The project is also expected to avoid up to 154,000 tonnes of CO₂ emissions annually.

Design shaped by surveys and community input

The developer describes West Oxfordshire Energy Park as an environment-led project. Beyond the solar panels, the battery energy storage system and associated infrastructure, the proposals incorporate areas set aside for environmental mitigation and enhancement. Environmental surveys and technical assessments are being carried out, and Low Carbon states that feedback from local communities and other stakeholders will be used to inform and refine the design as it evolves. Engagement is already under way.

Low Carbon is currently in dialogue with local parish councils and other stakeholders while the emerging design is still taking shape. A formal public consultation is planned for the beginning of 2027, at which point local communities and other interested parties will have the chance to review the proposals in detail and submit their feedback.

Developer's response to the announcement

Ed Perrin, development director at Low Carbon, welcomed the unveiling of the plans. "We are pleased to announce our plans for West Oxfordshire Energy Park, which, if approved, will make an important contribution to the supply of clean, home-grown renewable power in the UK that will support government targets for solar deployment," he said. Perrin also stressed that the project is still at the beginning of its development journey and that neighbourhood engagement is the current priority.

"The project is in its early stages, and our immediate focus is on engaging with those who live and work nearby. We are grateful to the communities and stakeholders who have engaged with us so far, and we look forward to continuing that engagement as the proposals develop, using the feedback they share to help shape the project," he added.

The consenting route: an NSIP requiring a DCO

Because the proposed generating capacity exceeds 100 MW, West Oxfordshire Energy Park falls into the category of a Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project, or NSIP. That classification sets the planning pathway: rather than applying through local planning channels, Low Carbon will need to submit an application for a Development Consent Order to the Planning Inspectorate. The final decision on consent will rest with the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero.

A developer with recent DCO success

Low Carbon points to its record in navigating this consenting regime as evidence of its ability to deliver projects of this scale. In August of this year, the government granted development consent for the company's Beacon Fen Energy Park, a result the company cites when describing its track record of bringing NSIP solar projects through the DCO process. With early engagement underway, surveys and assessments in progress, and a public consultation scheduled for the start of 2027, the West Oxfordshire proposals will now develop against that backdrop, with community feedback, environmental findings and technical work all expected to shape the design before any application reaches the Planning Inspectorate.