Ban large solar schemes on farmland/open countryside and promote solar on roofs

Promote solar energy on roofs and ban large-scale solar schemes on farmland and open countryside.

The Government is committed to achieving clean power by 2030. This is an ambitious mission, which will require the accelerated rollout of various renewable energy sources, including solar power. The Clean Power Action Plan, published in December, sets out that 45-47GW of solar generation will be required in 2030, up from around 17GW at present.

We are aware that solar projects can have environmental impacts, and all projects are subject to a rigorous planning process, in which the views and interests of local communities are considered. This includes any impact on food production, land use, landscapes or the natural environment.

The Government does not intend to introduce a ban on solar schemes on farmland. However, planning guidance makes clear that, wherever possible, developers should utilise brownfield, industrial, contaminated, or previously developed land. Where the development of agricultural land is shown to be necessary, lower-quality land should be preferred to higher-quality land.

We do agree that solar generation on roofs is a top priority. Permitted development rights mean that the vast majority of rooftop projects no longer require an application for planning permission. Moreover, new building standards will be introduced to ensure that all newly built houses and commercial buildings are fit for a net zero future. We expect these standards to encourage the installation of solar panels.

As part of the Warm Homes Plan, officials are exploring the merits of a range of green finance products to support homeowners with the upfront costs of a range of green domestic retrofit improvements, including rooftop solar. We will set out full details of the Warm Homes Plan after the second phase of the Spending Review.

On 21 March we announced that Government and Great British Energy will be investing £180 million to put rooftop solar panels on around 200 schools and 200 NHS sites, saving hundreds of millions on their energy bills.

Department for Energy Security and Net Zero