Making a village or community a special place to live requires the people
who live there to be involved: to step up and run clubs and activities for
the people and causes they care about. Tackley is one of those places: we
have so many inspiring, caring and interesting people who do just that. So
as ever, in this year’s annual report, there are many people to thank — in
no particular order.
Mary McIntyre runs the Tackley Notices email list along with the freecycle
and for-sale pages. This is such a useful service for sending out timely
information about what’s going on. If you don’t already receive Tackley
Notices, please subscribe by visiting
tackleyvillage.co.uk.
Martin Edwards edits this newsletter every two months. Anyone can submit an
article, and Martin is always looking for interesting things to include, so
if you have something to say please get in touch by visiting
tackleynewsletter.co.uk.
And of course, there are the delivery volunteers who get the newsletter out
to every house in the village.
The shop, led by Debbie Norton and her team, continues to be a valuable
service. Many volunteers help man the tills, stack the shelves and assist
customers; and there is a committee working in the background too.
The village hall is the main meeting space in Tackley, and is well used.
Thank you to Katie Hofman and the committee who run it. They are always
looking for new members to help out, so please get in touch if you’re
interested — many hands make light work!
We are lucky to have so much open space to explore in and around the
village. Sadly, some people have no respect for this, with dog poo and bins
forever on the parish council agenda and with litter being a problem that
seems to be getting worse. Many thanks to Sue and Alan Lygo
and the many volunteers who clean our streets and verges of the litter
left by the few.
The Jubilee Garden is looking wonderful, and I’m sure there will be more to
come there. Thanks to the JG group who keep on top of the weeding and making
sure it looks beautiful for all.
We have our fantastic heath and woods, which is such a special place to
visit with a wide range of plants, animals and birds to see. Thanks to
Rachel Strachan, John Reynolds and Katherine Woodrow for all the work going
on behind the scenes; and to the volunteers for maintaining access for
humans as well as improving the site for biodiversity and all our wild kin
who live there. Thanks also to the Cub Scouts who are continuing to remove
bracken in the test area — the bluebells are looking lovely, and other new
plants are starting to grow. If anyone is interested in joining the
committee or volunteer team, please get in touch with me.
This year’s Breakfast on the Heath
was a success as always, with many attending. Thanks to Jane Walker and the
team for organising, setting up and clearing away so well. This tradition
has been going since the early 90s.
Interest in having an allotment continues to grow. Thank you to Jan Read
for being our allotment rep, sorting out problems and keeping on top of the
waiting list. Thank you to everyone who is waiting patiently for an
allotment to become available. We are aware that more space is required.
There are many clubs and activities in the village, providing
companionship, entertainment and education to all ages from Silver Threads
to Toddler Group. Tackley has bell-ringers, a book club, craft club, cycling
group (Wheelers), gardening club, local history group, Scout group,
walking group and WI. We also have a very
successful car scheme, regular fundraisers for Macmillan Cancer Support and
an annual horse show. Thank you to everyone who volunteers with these groups
and events — you are amazing, and part of what makes Tackley such a special
place to live. If there are any clubs I have missed, please let me know as
I’d love to hear about what you do — and I’d like to add you to the new
Tackley information booklet which will be coming out later this year.
New Roles
This summer we welcome a new rector, Rev Harriet
Orridge, to St Nicholas’ Church. We hope she enjoys her time in the area
– and serving in such a beautiful old church – and we look forward to
getting to know her as she takes on this important role.
We also welcome a new headteacher, Mrs Karen Ward. Tackley Primary School
is a great place for our young children, and we hope Karen soon settles in
and is very happy here.
Nathalie Chapple stood down as our district councillor this month, and I
wish to thank her for her help over the last four years. Following the May
elections, our new district councillor is Tim Sumner. He has a been to a few
of our parish council meetings in recent months.
Flooding
There is always a lot for the parish council to discuss at meetings. Some
problems are easy to fix, while others are more longstanding issues that we
continue to work hard on.
We have had flooding in the village for many years, but this seems to be
becoming more frequent with long dry periods followed by very heavy rain.
Tackley is now under a Section 19 investigation with a catchment study
commissioned. We have already met with the relevant people after sustained
rain to show them the main problem areas.
Solar Farm
The proposed Botley West Solar Farm is a large development with the
potential to provide up to 840 MW of power, enough for 330,000 homes,
to the National Grid within two to three years.
There is a wide range of views on the plans in the wider community, from
those firmly for to those firmly against, including a large and vocal
campaign against.
A public meeting was held in the village hall on 20 February, which
87 members of the public attended. After Angus Paxton spoke in favour of the
proposals and Anne Gwinnett and Tim Sumner spoke against, a discussion and
open floor was provided. A show of hands for, undecided and against
indicated that approximately 80% of those present were against the proposal.
The information provided by Councillor Paxton and Ms Gwinnett is available
on the parish council section of the Tackley village website.
Because the proposed power station would generate more than 300 MW it
is considered to be a Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project, meaning
permission is required at national level under a Development Consent Order.
As part of this process, West Oxfordshire District Council (WODC) is
currently conducting a Local Impact Report (LIR). More information about
this can be found on the WODC website.
The LIR, which must be produced by WODC regardless of their own position on
the development, will be provided directly to the Secretary of State and
must be considered by them in assessing the project. It is therefore an
important process. WODC has stated that they will be consulting parish
councils as part of the LIR process, but we have yet to hear from them.
Tackley Parish Council met in May to discuss whether we should produce a
statement setting out the village’s position. As the information I have just
provided, about our public meeting, has already been published via Tackley
Notices we have decided to not publish anything further at this stage and
will instead engage with WODC on the LIR.
Roads
Tackley’s roads are a constant source of complaint, especially the main
roads out of the village. After a recent near collision on the road to
Sturdy’s Castle, we now seem to be getting action. Thankfully the long
stretch of potholes and uneven road is being fixed at the beginning of June,
and with the road being closed for a few days it will hopefully be a good
repair. Thanks to Andy Graham, our county councillor, and Matthew Parkinson,
one of our district councillors for highlighting this issue to the highways
team.
Implementation of a 20 mph speed limit through the village is
underway. Vehicle-activated signs to inform drivers of their speed will be
installed soon on the three main roads into the village. We have been
informed that we should be in the next round of changes in the county. In
the meantime, now is a good time to practise going slower for the safety of
our community.
Pub
Martin and Jackie Perrin have given notice of their intention to close the
Gardiner Arms in June, and stated that they would like the village to take
over running of the pub. A group has formed
with the intention of putting forward a bid from the community.
Section 106 Money
Under the Town and Country Planning Act, house-builders can be asked to
make financial contributions towards community and social infrastructure.
Following the two large developments in Tackley, we asked villagers what
they’d like this ‘Section 106’ money to be spent on.
A few ideas were put forward, but a pump track/skate park/trim trail were
at the top of the list. We are awaiting quotes, but really need some more
volunteers to take action and get this up and running. Please get in touch
with me directly if you would like to help get this in place for our
children and teenagers.
The bike track will not use all of the money, so we are still considering
other options that were suggested. These include hardstanding at the heath,
additional land for the graveyard, and electric vehicle charging at the
village hall car park.
Acknowledgements
Finally, I’d like to thank Tackley’s councillors for all the time they put
into meetings and the work they do in between. Big thanks also to Cherie,
our clerk, who does a huge amount for us – especially recently – and
patiently explains rules and regulations in words we can understand!
June Collier has now resigned after more than twenty years on Tackley
Parish Council, many as chair. Her presence, local knowledge and no-nonsense
attitude will be missed. June has agreed to stay on as railway
representative and will continue to aid with the flooding issues, which is
greatly appreciated. I’m sure she will remain just as significant in Tackley
life as ever, and I hope that she and George are finally able to enjoy their
retirement together.
Look up when you pass and you will see that the coat of arms of the village
pub has the Latin motto nil desperandum — do not despair. There have
been times in the last few weeks when the faint-hearted might indeed have
despaired, such have been the frustrations of our dealings with the current
owners, Martin and Jackie Perrin. But the group of residents seeking to find
a solution to the challenge of buying the pub for the village are made of
sterner stuff. Let me outline recent events, because we want everyone to
know what has – and has not – been happening.
On 13 March, about 100 residents filled the village hall to hear
Martin and Jackie tell us their plans, followed by a discussion. Martin
began by explaining in a lengthy tale of woe that he had decided to retire
and planned to lease the pub to the village, while he and Jackie continued
to live upstairs. It quickly became apparent that the plan was neither
viable nor likely to be acceptable to the village. A sale with vacant
possession was necessary. Martin and Jackie accepted this. A show of hands
made clear that there was overwhelming support in principle for the village
to buy the pub.
Progress since then has been limited for a number of reasons. Put shortly,
these are:
The fact that the site has been divided in two, with the pub in one
corporate ownership and the car park and function room in another
corporate ownership — more on this later.
Martin’s insistence on what we regard as an unrealistically high
price.
Martin’s uncooperative attitude to our inquiries.
A committee was formed and has corresponded with Martin and Jackie in
recent weeks. At an early stage we made clear that our offer, when it was
made, would be for the whole site: pub, car park and function room. We told
them:
Prior to the steps you took some years ago, the pub, the function
room and the car park were a single title and plot (‘the whole’). You split
the title and plot for reasons of your own. You now wish to sell the pub. It
is inconceivable that any interested party would be prepared to purchase it
other than as the whole. That is certainly our position. The pub without the
function room and car park are of no practical use or value. The function
room and the car park are of no practical use or value without the pub. Nor
do they have any development value or even ‘hope’ value. The recent history
makes that clear. It follows that if we are to proceed it must be on the
basis that any purchase will be of the whole. It will be for you, your
father-in-law, and your family company to take such steps as are necessary
to enable such a purchase.
The reply was as disappointing as it was, in our view, unrealistic.
Picking the key elements, it said: “…we are only in a position to sell what
we own. There seems little point in progressing with the [Gardiner Arms
Community Interest Group] as they do not appear interested in considering
buying the property on offer … the whole site is not for sale.” Not an
auspicious beginning.
This is not the time or place to expand on the history of how or why the
site was split into separate ownerships in 2018, but there are many who
believe it was done to exploit what Martin and his father-in-law believed to
be the site’s value for residential development. Martin, however, told the
meeting in March that it was because of his financial plight at the time. Be
that as it may, the pub and the other parts of the site are now in separate
ownership, albeit via companies owned or controlled by Martin, Jackie, and
Jackie’s family.
There are issues about whether the separation of the site and disposal of
the car park and function room were proper and in compliance with statutory
rules about an Asset of Community Value (ACV). Martin and Jackie maintain
that they were. Indeed, in support of that position their family companies
have told West Oxfordshire District Council that the function room has not
been used for many years. That seems a strange claim, and many in the
village will have a very different recollection — a recollection confirmed
by several photos on the pub’s website and social media. We shall be
obtaining professional legal advice on the issues.
As for the development aspirations, it is widely known that since Martin
and Jackie acquired the pub a number of applications were made by their
family company for planning permission for residential development. The
applications have been refused each time, and in September 2022 the Planning
Inspectorate dismissed an appeal against the most recent decision. Although
development for housing now seems out of the question, the site remains
divided.
As for the price, Martin can be praised for his apparent resolution. He has
repeatedly told us that he seeks £600,000 — and that is just for the pub,
without the car park and function room: “Our offer price is £600,000 and
this is not negotiable”.
We have told him that we are obtaining a professional valuation from a
valuer who specialises in licensed premises in order to have objective
advice about the fair market value. On no fewer than four occasions we have
asked him to confirm that he will allow access to our valuer/surveyor for an
inspection — a perfectly normal step, of course. He has not agreed. We
regard that as extraordinary. As we have told him, his refusal leads to the
inference that he is worried about what the valuation figure will be and has
no faith in his posited figure of £600,000.
Indeed, in an email a few weeks ago Martin said that his “requirement of a
minimum price of £600k is not based on ‘valuations’ or ‘condition of the
property’ or ‘accounts’. It is merely based on the fact that if the GACIG
want us out of our home, then our minimum price we will consider (not
necessarily accept) is £600k. We will not leave our home for less, under any
circumstances.”
It is not easy to deal with somebody who has such a subjective and, it
might be said, idiosyncratic approach to what should be a commercial
decision. But for our part we believe that we should only offer and be
prepared to pay fair market value, objectively determined. Incidentally, the
price Martin paid in June 2016 was £350,000, and that was for the whole
site: pub, car park and function room. He now wants close to double that for
a fraction of the site and in a poor market for pubs.
We hope to have the surveyor’s report and valuation in late May. We have
told Martin that we will provide him with a copy. We do not want to hide it
from him. We have asked Martin to provide us with a copy of the valuation
that he has indicated he has. He did not agree. Instead, he launched an
unfortunate and unwarranted personal criticism of Simon, who has led our
group admirably and with great courtesy. Martin even suggested that Simon
should step down. This approach of ‘if you don’t like the message, shoot the
messenger’ is unwise and futile, but it’s also an indication of Martin’s
thinking.
In a subsequent missive, Martin went so far as to say that he “would have
allowed [the group] valuations, if [it] had agreed that [it was] buying our
property only and for a minimum of £600k”. We regard this as bizarre, to say
no more. It is obvious to anyone with even minimal experience of property or
business transactions that the reason we need a valuation is to have expert
advice on the value of the property before we make a bid, not
afterwards. He went on to accuse the group of time-wasting, notwithstanding
that he had taken a month to thwart our request for our valuer to inspect
the premises. He concluded by saying, petulantly you may think:
We are now informing you that any potential bid from this group
will now be rejected … We will no longer respond to any further emails from
[the group] … It is our sincere hope that from the 1,300 people in the
village, an alternative interest group will form that is serious and does
have the funds to complete the purchase without the need for
grants.
Despite the refusal to allow our appointed surveyor/valuer to inspect the
premises, we are proceeding with the valuation, albeit without the full
internal inspection that would be usual. We continue to act in good faith
and with the aim of acquiring the pub for the benefit of the community. We
explained our position to Martin and Jackie in our reply on 17 May:
Dear Martin and Jackie,
Thank you for Martin’s email of 14 May.
We cannot, of course, force you to open our emails, to read our
correspondence, to allow access to our surveyor/valuer, or to accept the
offer we hope to make. However, we would be failing in our duty to the
residents of Tackley and would not be making all proper efforts towards
achieving a deal with you if we did not reply and make these points.
Despite what you accuse us of, we have always been polite and
constructive in all our dealings with you. That will continue to be our
approach.
Although we believe that your aspiration to receive £600,000 for the
pub is both unrealistic and unattainable, we have made clear throughout
that we wish to have a professional valuation. The purpose of that, of
course, is to inform us about the fair market value of the pub, etc.,
and to guide us in making our offer. If, contrary to our belief, the
valuation was to confirm that your figure is reasonable, we would be
likely to make such an offer. It is therefore potentially in your
interest, as well as ours, to facilitate the valuation by agreeing to
an inspection by Mr Hughes.
We suggest that no prospective purchaser would make a proper and
worthwhile offer without such an inspection and report. Life just isn’t
like that.
Of course, we could have fallen in with your demands and made an offer
of £600,000 (as could any time-waster) on the basis that any offer would
manifestly be made “subject to contract and subject to survey”. We would
then have been able to reduce the figure when we received the valuation.
But that would be neither straightforward nor constructive.
In seeking to persuade us to make an offer, whether of £600,000 or any
other sum, before we have received our valuation and survey report, you
are seeking to put the proverbial cart before the horse. That is neither
sensible nor constructive.
You refer to the possibility that an alternative interest group will
emerge from the village. One can never say “never”, but we are sure that
that is extremely unlikely, to the point of being completely
unrealistic.
The moratorium period under Part 5 of the Localism Act 2011 is in
place until 10 October 2023. A sale to any non-community bidder
cannot therefore take place until after that date. And of course you and
your family/family companies will be aware that the ACV protection
applies to the entire site: pub, function room, and car park.
We do not understand your apparent objection to the fact that we are
likely to seek funding for our offer. It should not matter to you, as
long as you receive the agreed price in due course. Also, it is probable
that any other prospective purchaser will seek funding of one type or
another.
We hardly need to tell you that the market for pubs, both throughout
the country and in Oxfordshire, is moribund and has been so for a long
time. To put it bluntly, it’s a buyer’s market and certainly not one in
which a seller can demand an unrealistic price.
When we have received Mr Hughes’ report, probably in late May, we are
likely to make an offer. It will be a fair and reasonable one. As we
have said before, we shall provide you with a copy of Mr Hughes’ report
at the same time. It will, of course, be for you to decide how to
respond to the offer.
Yours sincerely
Any reply will come too late for this article. Based on the history, I
don’t foresee a transformation in his attitude, but one never knows.
Sometimes reality dawns after a long night.
Although a professional survey and valuation of the premises is essential,
the annual accounts of the pub might also help us in putting forward an
offer. We therefore asked Martin and Jackie a few weeks ago to provide us
with copies for the last three years — a commonplace request when a business
is being sold. This request was also turned down. Indeed, Martin said that
our request was “a real laughing matter” and he took the opportunity to tell
us (again) “be aware that our minimum price will remain at £600k and is not
negotiable”.
We remain determined to conduct proper and sensible negotiations with
Martin and Jackie with a view to buying the pub – all of it – for
the village. We hope that a fair and proper deal can be done. The timescale
is obviously uncertain, but we want to avoid delay. One date that is known
is 25 June: that’s the date on which Martin has told us that he intends
to close the pub. The closure will be unfortunate, except as a prelude to a
new and better beginning.
As for how the purchase will be made, we are relying on professional advice
from lawyers, from the Plunkett Foundation – which advises community
businesses, like village shops and pubs – and from the Campaign for Real Ale
(CAMRA). It seems likely that a single purpose company will be used and that
the necessary funds will be raised by residents of the village subscribing
for shares. So you too can own a pub — or part of one! More about that in
due course. Meanwhile, nil desperandum. We shall succeed.
We would welcome your views. Do you support our attempt to buy the pub
for the village? Do you have any suggestions or comments? Please let us know
by email to gacommunityinterest@gmail.com.
Breakfast on the Heath
Jane Walker, Breakfast on the Heath Organising Party
Thank you all so much for coming to Breakfast on the Heath and giving so
generously. It was a great turnout, and I’m sure a good time was had by
all.
After taking out money for next year’s coal etc. and any repairs that are
needed, we have decided to give a donation to dementia support. We feel this
is an important focus for many people in and from Tackley at this present
time.
Many thanks, and we hope to see you there again next year.
As I write this, we have been here a month. My, how time flies! What with
my licensing service and the coronation, it only seems five minutes since we
moved into the Rectory.
Thank you for your lovely warm welcome. The one question I am repeatedly
asked is: are you settled in yet? My usual answer focuses around the
physical aspects of the move: boxes are unpacked, and we do now have
broadband. Hooray!
However, settling in is much bigger than getting unpacked. When we go to a
new school, go to university or start a new job, when we ask ‘have you
settled in?’ we don’t mean have you unpacked your school bag or found your
desk.
Every evening I take time to reflect on the day as part of my bedtime
routine. Often I use the Christian meditation app Soultime to listen to a
reflection, at the start of which the narrator invites me, the listener, to
“get comfortable and take a couple of deep breaths”. I enjoy taking a moment
to settle: snuggling down into my bed; getting the pillows just right so
that I’m comfortable.
The broader perspective of getting settled is this idea of becoming
‘comfortable’, which will involve getting to know you and making friends. In
terms of settling into a new school or job, we really mean making friends —
finding where you ‘fit in’. This takes time to do anywhere, and it will take
time for me to properly get to know you — both as individuals and as the
wider community of Tackley, and how everything is interconnected.
The other side of getting settled is finding our new routine. Changes in
one area affect other aspects of life. Moving here has significantly reduced
my husband’s commute, which is fantastic, meaning he can leave much later in
the morning and gets home earlier in the evening. One of the ripples of this
affects my own morning prayer – where and when I have quiet time with God –
which means I need to tweak my daily habits.
Last summer I read Christopher Chapman’s book Send My Roots
Rain which talks about the importance of spiritual practices,
especially for priests. I resolved that in my new post I would be sure to
create space to maintain a rhythm of life that included rest. Within
ministry (life) there are a billion things to do, and it is easy to feel the
need to keep going; to keep on chopping wood. But just as God rested on the
seventh day, it is important that we rest too, taking time to step off the
treadmill of life, and pause. Settling into a moment; living in that space
momentarily.
Taking time to rest is one of the things we should have learnt from the
Covid pandemic. Studies have shown you are most at risk of developing long
Covid if you rush back. As a world we have neglected and lost the practice
of convalescing. Whilst rest and recuperation after being ill are important,
so is ‘pacing’ in our everyday life.
In the parable of the two woodcutters, who had a competition to see who
could cut the most wood in a day, one worked all day chopping wood while the
other stopped for five minutes every hour. At the end of the day, it was the
second woodcutter who had chopped the most wood, because while resting he
had also sharpened his axe.
The real answer to the question ‘have I settled in?’ is that we are getting
there — or should that be here? Settling in is a process that takes time:
time to get to know you, make friends, and find a rhythm of life and
ministry that fits being here and is life-giving both to me and to this
community. But I’m looking forward to every step of the journey with
you.
Harriet (centre) and her family, from left to right:
Georgina (‘G’), Geoffrey, John (husband) and Rachel.
Photo: Nigel Francis
We held a litter pick on Thursday, 4 May immediately after school.
Thankfully, the weather was kind. We had eight adults but only five
children, which was a little disappointing. A big thank-you to those who
came and helped — it is very much appreciated.
Clearing litter left or thrown by others is, unfortunately, still needed.
We think that Saturday mornings are the best time to litter pick, as we get
more volunteers helping. However, we will now wait until the grass verges
are cut on the main roads into and out of the village.
Our leisurely walks offer everyone a friendly way to get to know the
Oxfordshire countryside better. We meet at Tackley Village Hall at the times
given to arrange transport to the start of each walk. There’s no obligation
to car share, but there isn’t always enough parking for every person to
drive individually. Walking is at participants’ own risk.
Saturday, 10 June at 9:30 am: Waterperry. From Waterperry we
walk along a lovely section of the Oxfordshire Way to Waterstock, through
Albury, and on to English Heritage’s 15th century Rycote Chapel with its
superb musicians’ gallery and two roofed pews. Round Rycote lake, and
alongside the Thames to Shabbington and the Old Fisherman pub for a drink,
then on to Little Ickford, Ickford and back to Waterperry, with an option
to look round the gardens. Bring a picnic. 11 miles.
Wednesday, 28 June at 2 pm: Aynho, Souldern. From Aynho we
walk down towards Souldern with views of Aynho Park over your left
shoulder. We follow Miller’s Way to Souldern Mill and on into Souldern
village, passing the manor. At the village pond we follow the road to the
church. We then pass through a small wood which takes us back across the
border into Northamptonshire. There are a couple of stiles on this walk.
3 miles.
Tackley WI enjoyed two craft evenings in the spring, learning different
printing techniques for making cards and pictures with Mary-Lou, Emma and
Eve.
In June and July we have two talks with a history focus. On Tuesday,
6 June Jane Dickinson, a Green Badge tour guide, will give her talk
Highlights of Influential Women of Oxford From Both Town and
Gown.
On Tuesday, 4 July Shaun Todd will present Afternoon Tea: What
You May Not Know, about the history and etiquette of afternoon tea,
with a show-and-tell of vintage items.
On Tuesday, 1 August we will have an informal craft evening — details
to follow.
We welcome visitors and new members to our friendly meetings, which are
held in the village hall at 7:45 for 8 pm. Visitors pay £5 which
includes refreshments.
I was interested to read Anne Gwinnett’s article in the April–May issue on
the controversial proposals for the Botley West Solar Farm. It raised a
number of issues that we should all think about and engage with during the
consultations. Anne’s conclusion was to reject the proposal and to join and
represent the Stop Botley West (SBW) campaign. While I respect Anne’s
personal decision on this issue, I would express concern and disappointment
about the SBW campaign’s approach, which seems to me – as a semi-retired
academic in atmospheric physics – unduly negative about solar power in
general and based on some debatable, if not actually misleading or even
incorrect, arguments. Its aims seem to be exclusively to prevent the Botley
West proposal going ahead in any form, even if it were to be able to address
questions such as how to promote local biodiversity or the dual use of the
land for agriculture alongside solar power. Is that really the only answer?
What are the alternatives, and how should we constructively campaign for
them instead?
Not for the UK?
One point mentioned in SBW’s literature, and repeated in Anne’s article, is
that “solar is not an efficient or reliable source of energy in the UK”.
This is simply not correct. Although countries at latitudes closer to the
equator experience more intense peak levels of sunlight, the intensity of
sunshine at our latitudes in summer is still around 60% of what it is close
to the equator. In addition, we experience more hours of daylight during
summer than in the tropics — though the converse is of course true during
our winter. While cloud reduces the efficiency, solar power still generates
electricity without direct sunlight. The output of any solar farm depends on
the weather and season, but then so does wind power generation (whether on
or offshore, which SBW seems to prefer). However, solar power is more likely
to be effective on calm summer days when wind power can’t generate much
energy, so the two methods can complement each other.
A Mixed Economy
Most experts agree that, in order to achieve net zero carbon emissions into
the atmosphere – which is essential if we are to limit manmade changes to
the climate – we will need a mixture of different methods of power
generation to replace the burning of fossil carbon (mainly natural gas and
coal). The problem is that every alternative method that doesn’t use carbon
as a fuel has some disadvantage, either because of limited reliability or
because it needs energy and ‘non-green’ resources to manufacture and
install. This applies to wind, tidal, biomass and nuclear power as well as
solar. The only totally green way to avoid burning carbon is to use less
energy in the first place, but there are limits to this approach! In each
case, the key criterion is that, in the long run, less carbon should be
emitted into the atmosphere than would have been the case if we had carried
on burning gas or coal. This is why it is called net zero (!) and
the criterion is almost certainly satisfied for any solar or wind power
system, regardless of where it is manufactured. If anyone is interested in
more details, I can recommend the publication Sustainable Energy –
Without the Hot Air by David Mackay, which is available free at
withouthotair.com.
Why So Big?
Supporters of SBW also raise concerns about the size and scale of the
Botley West site, which does indeed look either impressive or shocking and
scary depending upon your point of view. But this has to be seen against the
scale of what is needed for the UK to achieve net zero by the 2030s.
Although Botley West does indeed seem very large, according to figures from
David Mackay’s analysis it would still only provide around 3–4% of what the
UK needs just for solar power, quite apart from other energy
sources. So one could argue that we actually need more than twenty sites
equivalent to Botley West to be built during the next decade!
Roofs Not Fields?
SBW’s literature also asks – somewhat inconsistently with their statement
that solar power is inefficient and unreliable – why we can’t use roofs of
buildings up and down the country for solar panels instead of open
countryside. In an ideal world, this would indeed be desirable — and many
people, including my family, have already taken steps to install solar
panels on their houses to make a contribution — and save on bills! But the
basic problem here is that most of these roofs are owned by millions of
individual households and businesses, each of whom has to be persuaded or
compelled to install solar power systems. This is therefore largely a
political and financial problem, either to provide financial help and
incentives or to pass laws to require people to install these systems. So
far the present government has seemed very reluctant to do either on the
scale required, and has even reduced some of the incentives offered
previously. So unless this or future governments (which we elect!) can be
persuaded to change their policies, we may have to accept the use of some
greenfield land for solar power generation. While this may not be good news
for those arguing for more agriculture and better food security, the
sacrifice of a few thousand acres of agricultural land may eventually be
seen as a small price to pay compared with what could happen to food
security if we don’t limit changes in the climate.
In summary, there may well be valid reasons to oppose the Botley West
proposal in particular, but we cannot ignore the urgent need to
significantly extend our capacity to harness solar energy.
Eye on Blenheim
Martin Edwards, Editor
Supporters of the Stop Botley West campaign gathered outside both Bladon
exits from Blenheim on the afternoon of Saturday, 27 May for a peaceful
protest addressing visitors leaving the food festival held in the palace
grounds.
Among the group’s new publicity material were placards reading ‘Say No to
Russian Money’, a reference to the recent claim in Private Eye
magazine that the solar farm “will be run by a company backed by some
seriously dubious Russian money” (‘Marlborough light’, issue 1597).
Blenheim Estates and Merton College Oxford are two significant landowners
set to benefit from the use of agricultural land as a solar farm. Given the
notable coverage of Botley West in the Tackley Newsletter to date, I wanted
to offer them a chance to respond to the Private Eye article. I
made multiple phone, email and in-person enquiries as I sought their
comments — in vain.
John Gloag, College Land Agent & Estates Bursar at Merton, eventually told
me: “The College will not be responding to the article in Private
Eye entitled ‘Marlborough light’.”
Blenheim’s Head of Marketing and Communications, Samantha Vaughan, said
only that “project specific enquiries and media relations for Botley West”
were being handled by Counter Context, a Sheffield-based PR firm, and
directed me to the main email address found on the Botley West website.
Counter Context seemed like the only remaining route. They passed my
request to Photovolt Development Partners (PVDP), the German company behind
Botley West, who quickly provided a pre-prepared statement that opens:
“PVDP does not see any truth in the insinuations in the article, which is an
exercise in smear by association.” The rest of the statement talks about the
company’s other projects and funding, but does not otherwise address the
concerns in question.
Thank You
Gill Laurence
Jerrams Brothers Funeral Directors have confirmed donations received in
memory of Geoffrey. Collection from the service was £257.60, kind donations
from Tackley Gardening Club £30, and from Tackley Silver Threads £20. With a
further anonymous donation of £60, the total given to Dementia UK was
£367.60. On behalf of Dementia UK and myself, thank you everyone for your
kind donations.
Geoffrey Laurence
Gill always called him Geoffrey and we all knew him as Geoff,
Now he’s gone and left us all we feel very bereft.
He was never the life and soul of the party, but liked a damn good
joke,
And all of you that have joined us here will really miss this bloke.
He was happy driving coaches and doing the car share scheme,
And when at home with his lovely wife he was living the dream.
They’d lived in many homes and places and finally settled here,
And no doubt when we share his memories we’re bound to shed a tear.
Their love for dogs was outstanding and they both decided to breed,
And just like things they’d done together they managed to succeed.
They also adored being out in their garden whenever they got the
chance,
With Gill looking after the plants and pots and Geoffrey mowing the
grass.
It’s a sad farewell from all of us and hope your journey’s safe,
That you can now relax and rest with a smile upon your face.
I know most of the time you were Mister Grumpy, or was you deep in
thought?
Geoff you’ll never be forgotten coz you were one of a sort.
