MPs urge ban on solar farms on top-grade farmland

A cross-party group of 29 MPs and peers has written to the prime minister demanding immediate action to protect high-quality farmland from large-scale solar farm development across England.

The letter, co-ordinated following a recent roundtable of MPs representing areas where 1% or more of the land is occupied by existing or proposed solar farms, is backed by SolarQ, an apolitical group of UK-based solar experts.

Their data shows solar panels are disproportionately built on top-grade agricultural land, posing risks to national food security.

See also: Call to protect farmland from mega solar expansion

Among the signatories are shadow farming minister Robbie Moore MP, Kevin Hollinrake MP, and Sir David Davis MP.

The group challenges the current approach, warning it undermines both farming and long-term food sustainability.

“The need for effective policy to transition away from fossil fuels and decarbonise our energy system is clear and indisputable.

“However, in pursuing this goal, we must not sacrifice our nation’s food security or the integrity of our agricultural landscape,” the letter states.

Current planning guidance discourages development on Best and Most Versatile land (BMV), which includes agricultural land classification Grades 1, 2 and 3a.

However, because such solar developments can be classified as nationally significant infrastructure projects, they can still be approved on high-quality farmland.

SolarQ’s analysis revealed that “there is three times more Grade 5 land (the lowest quality) than Grade 1 land in England, yet solar installations occupy over 20 times more Grade 1 land than Grade 5 land (0.68% vs 0.03%).

“This reflects a seriously flawed approach to land use and planning”.

The letter highlights the broader context: 46% of the UK’s food is imported, while arable land has dropped to 14.8m acres, its lowest level since the Second World War, and continues to decline by nearly 100,000 acres annually.

Climate forecasts suggest BMV land could shrink from 38% of UK land to just 11% by 2050.

The group calls for a legal ban on solar farms on BMV land, inclusion of Grade 3b land in that category, and a clear rooftop-first and brownfield-first policy for solar development.