Andi's Writeup about the question, adding all sources for further research
The debate over solar farms on British farmland has intensified since Labour's Ed Miliband became Energy Security Secretary in 2024, approving several controversial large-scale projects[^1][^2].
Key developments:
The government aims to triple UK solar capacity by 2030, from 16.6 gigawatts to 45-47 gigawatts[^3]
Currently solar farms occupy 0.1% of UK land, projected to reach 0.3-0.6% under government plans[^3]
Major approved projects include the 2,500-acre Sunnica solar farm on the Cambridgeshire/Suffolk border[^4]
The core tension is between:
Supporters argue:
Solar is now the cheapest form of renewable energy[^5]
Farmers can still graze sheep under panels while earning stable income[^6]
Even ambitious solar expansion would use less than 1% of agricultural land[^7]
Critics argue:
Prime farmland should be preserved for food security[^8]
Local communities lose rural character and views[^9]
Large projects bypass local planning control[^10]
Recent policy changes:
Labour government consulting on removing protections for high-grade farmland from planning guidance[^11]
Local councils advised to reject solar farms on prime agricultural land if they threaten food security[^12]
Government promoting "agrivoltaics" - combining solar with continued farming[^13]
[^1]: BBC - Solar farms: What next for Norfolk?
[^2]: Farmers Weekly - Analysis: The pros and cons of solar farm development
[^3]: BBC - Why more mega solar farms are coming to the countryside
[^4]: GB News - More than a tenth of farmland to become solar farms
[^5]: National Grid - Solar power: your questions answered
[^6]: Carbon Brief - Factcheck: Is solar power a 'threat' to UK farmland?
[^7]: BBC - English farmland could be cut by 9% to hit green targets
[^8]: BBC - Solar or food production? Somerset farmers locked into debate
[^9]: BBC - Plans for 3,700 acres of solar panels on farmland
[^10]: UKPower - The challenges facing new solar farms in the UK
[^11]: Farming.co.uk - Huge increase in planning applications for solar schemes on farmland
[^12]: Solar Power Portal - Planning submitted for 49.9MW Nuneham Solar Farm
[^13]: The Eco Experts - The 15 Largest Solar Farms in the World 2022
