The Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, Claire Coutinho, has backed Chris Loder MP’s campaign to protect prime agricultural land from the development of mass solar farms. It follows an increasing number of large-scale solar farms given planning permission to be built on Best and Most Versatile agricultural land. Mr Loder has already successfully opposed such developments in West Dorset, including a 1,300 acre solar farm near Chickerell.
Mr Loder said: “The Energy Secretary’s backing of my campaign sends a strong signal to rural councils and solar farm developers: food security is essential to our national security. Taking acres of perfectly productive farmland out of production undermines our ambition to strengthen food security in the UK.”
He continued: “Major solar projects should seek to minimise impacts on Best and Most Versatile agricultural land – grades 1, 2 and 3a – by instead utilising brownfield or industrial land. Equally, developers of new build estates should evaluate the benefits of installing solar panels on rooftops.”
