Mega solar farms are eating up productive farmland

Our most productive farmland is being lost to mega solar farms. CPRE research reveals this is happening across England and right here in Hertfordshire. As the country scales up on solar power, CPRE analysis shows that large scale solar farms are putting vital agricultural land at risk, despite readily available alternatives like solar on rooftops.

We’re all for renewable energy, but we want to see solar on all suitable domestic and industrial rooftops, car park canopies and brownfield land, leaving prime agricultural land for growing our food.

Mega solar in England

Research from our new report reveals that 59% of England’s largest operational solar farms are located on productive farmland.  Almost a third (31%) of the area they cover is classified as the nation’s ‘best and most versatile’ (BMV) agricultural land, graded 1 to 3a on the official Agricultural Land Classification system.

Despite planning policies designed to protect high quality farmland, over half of mega solar farms operating today include BMV land. Our analysis found that solar development now covers 827 hectares of BMV land, or roughly 1,300 football pitches. This includes 45 hectares of Grade 1 ‘excellent’ land, 216 hectares of Grade 2 ‘very good’ land, and 566 hectares of Grade 3a ‘good’ land. Solar panels also cover another 755 hectares of Grade 3b ‘moderate’ quality farmland.

The UK faces a big challenge in scaling solar capacity from 16.6 GW to 45-47 GW by 2030. Under current government policies, 60-65% of this could come from large solar farms. These remove key agricultural areas from food production for up to 60 years, threatening the UK’s food supply amid global uncertainty.

Despite government claims that solar will cover just 0.4% of UK land, the spread is far from even. In Sleaford and North Hykeham, for example, solar farms already cover 7% of land.

This approach to land use is short-sighted. Previous CPRE research has shown that installing solar panels on the roofs of suitable domestic and industrial buildings, as well as on car parks, could deliver 40-50 GW by 2035 and up to 117 GW by 2050.

Mega solar in Hertfordshire

Here in Hertfordshire, we’re aware of 13 mega solar farms of over 20 MW each that have either been granted permission or are pending determination. Together they cover 824 hectares of productive farmland of which at least 355 hectares is BMV. This equates to at least 43% of the current land take for mega solar in our county, and is especially concerning as BMV land is scarce.

A distressing example is Wandon End solar in North Hertfordshire. We campaigned against this solar farm and battery energy storage system, but it has recently been allowed on appeal. It will take 106 hectares of farmland out of arable crop production; over 50% of the site is BMV. The site is in the Green Belt but the applicant claimed it as ‘grey belt’. The site was proposed for inclusion in the Chilterns National Landscape extension but the extension has been cancelled. An extensive network of Public Rights of Way runs through the site, but these will now be surrounded by solar panels. And the residents of rural Tea Green, Wandon End, Darley Hall and Breachwood Green will now have a huge solar farm on their doorstep.

We’re also deeply concerned by the clustering of multiple mega solar and battery energy storage system proposals around the grid substation at Little Wymondley in North Hertfordshire, and at the Pelham substation straddling the border between East Hertfordshire and Essex. The cumulative consents and applications in these locations have a significant detrimental effect on the surrounding rural communities through industrialisation of the landscape as well as the loss of productive agricultural land.

What can be done?

CPRE is calling on the government to set a target for at least 60% of solar energy to come from rooftops, car parks and brownfield land.

We also want much stronger protections for scarce BMV farmland, sensitive landscapes and the Green Belt.

Read our full report ‘Getting solar off the ground: the problem of mega solar in the countryside’.

Also see CPRE Hertfordshire’s policy on ground mounted solar installations and our inventory of solar farm and battery energy storage system proposals across the county, all on our main solar webpage.

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We are CPRE Hertfordshire, the countryside charity. We campaign to protect, promote and enhance the Hertfordshire countryside for everyone, for today and for the future. We rely entirely on membership subscriptions and fundraising, and we welcome everyone to join us. It’s quick and easy to become a member – please join us today.