Petition calls for regulation to stem loss of farmland to solar

The petition warns that the growing number of solar farms will impact the availability of productive farmland
The petition warns that the growing number of solar farms will impact the availability of productive farmland

A petition which has so far gained over 1,500 signatures is demanding the government to regulate the loss of productive farmland to solar developments.

Launched this month by the Solar Campaign Alliance, it warns that the growing number of solar farms will impact the availability of productive agricultural land.

This, in turn, could eventually impact domestic food production and the UK's food security, the campaign group says.

The government should produce a regulatory framework in the form of a National Policy Statement on Farmland Protection to "avoid losing a critical mass of productive land to solar".

It comes as developers Windel Energy and Canadian Solar are aiming to create the UK's biggest solar farm within the next five years, covering more than 2,000 acres.

The project is located on the Rutland and Lincolnshire border, and if approved, it could power over 90,000 homes.

But opponents have warned that the solar farm could impact on productive agricultural land, as well as nearby habitats.

Solar Campaign Alliance's petition, available to sign on the parliament.uk website, explains that agricultural land is a finite resource.

"We believe there is currently a policy conflict where government seeks to protect and enhance our domestic production to maintain food security whilst also encouraging the growth of solar energy production.

"New ground-mounted solar developments must be subject to increased regulation to ensure that they do not undermine UK food security, which could result in increasing food costs."