Consultation has begun on plans for a 49.9MW solar farm in Aylesbury Vale that has prompted an immediate political and community backlash. The scheme, known as Furzen Solar Farm, would be built to the north-west of the East Claydon National Grid substation, between Steeple Claydon and Winslow, and is being promoted by RWE Renewables UK.
Benefits touted by developer
RWE Renewables says the project would provide a substantial contribution to home-grown electricity generation and energy security. Company material accompanying the consultation states the development could power 23,900 households and would save 1.6 million tonnes of CO2. The developer also details a package of local measures it says are designed to soften the landscape impact and provide community benefit.
- £800,000 proposed community fund if the scheme is approved;
- creation and enhancement of 47 acres of wildflower meadows;
- over 2 km of new hedgerow planting to improve screening and biodiversity.
RWE has opened the consultation for responses and has invited residents to submit their views by 4 September.
Local opposition and political intervention
Not all residents welcome the plans. The Claydons Solar Action Group, which organised in response to earlier large-scale proposals in the north Buckinghamshire area, has warned that Furzen would be the seventh major renewable energy programme to seek planning permission in the vicinity. The group says such projects have a “cumulative impact” on villages including Steeple Claydon, East Claydon, Botolph Claydon and Calvert.
“Absolutely unreal. I cannot believe the total failure of this latest company to do any research whatsoever into our area and understand just how opposed to ground mounted solar our communities are. Needless to say, [I] will work with affected villages to fight this latest unacceptable proposal all the way.”
The comment was made by Greg Smith, the Mid Buckinghamshire MP, who has criticised the proposals and pledged to work with affected villages to oppose the scheme. His intervention underscores the political sensitivity: while the developer frames the project as contributing to national energy needs and offering local compensation, parish and district concerns concentrate on landscape, amenity and the concentration of multiple large projects within a small area.
What residents should know
For residents weighing the plans, key details released so far include the siting relative to the East Claydon substation and the headline technical and mitigation figures presented by RWE. The developer’s timetable allows until 4 September for formal responses to the consultation, after which the scheme would proceed through the planning system if an application is submitted.
| Item | Figure |
|---|---|
| Generation capacity | 49.9MW |
| Households served (claimed) | 23,900 |
| CO2 savings (claimed) | 1.6 million tonnes |
| Community fund (proposed) | £800,000 |
| Wildflower meadow creation | 47 acres |
| New hedgerow planting | over 2 km |
| Consultation deadline | 4 September |
For commuter-belt communities that have seen a cluster of energy schemes mooted in recent years, the dispute exemplifies a wider clash: national policy priorities to expand renewable generation colliding with local anxieties about landscape change and the concentration of infrastructure close to established villages. While developers stress energy security and local benefit packages, campaign groups and some elected representatives argue that the cumulative burden on rural communities requires careful scrutiny.
The consultation is the formal opportunity for residents to register support, objections or concerns. If an application is subsequently lodged, planning officers and elected members will weigh the proposals alongside national and local planning policy, landscape and environmental assessments, and the representations received during this consultation period.
Further information and the developer’s consultation materials are available via RWE Renewables’ consultation portal.
