The Government has published a written statement setting out extra protection for agricultural land from excessive solar development.
The Government will put in place these protections by:
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Discouraging solar development on agricultural land.
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Putting the quality of farmland at the centre of planning decisions.
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Recording land type used for solar developments to monitor cumulative impact.
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Prioritising solar on rooftops.
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Ensuring all land categorisations and soil assessments are done by accredited surveys.
Alicia Kearns, Member of Parliament for Rutland and Melton, said:
“For three years I have campaigned for greater protections for our agricultural land to protect our food production, security and rural communities. Over the last few months alone, I have led debates, held meetings with Ministers in the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, the Department for the Environment, Farming and Rural Affairs and the Chief Whip to make this case, so I am relieved that a number of my suggestions have been adopted.
“These rules will ensure we put more solar on rooftops and non-agricultural land, so that we go green and work hard to do so, in the right way.”
