Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, if he will bring forward legislative proposals to provide that solar panels may not be sited on agricultural land.

In March, my Department published new planning guidance, which made clear to local planning authorities and planning inspectors the particular factors they should consider in relation to large scale ground mounted solar photovoltaic farms. These include making effective use of brownfield land and steering proposals away from good quality agricultural land. It also underlined the importance of protecting landscape and heritage assets, and the need to address issues such as glint and glare. It can be found online at:

http://planningguidance.planningportal.gov.uk/blog/guidance/renewable-and-low-carbon-energy/particular-planning-considerations-for-hydropower-active-solar-technology-solar-farms-and-wind-turbines/

To help focus these developments on brownfield sites, we have been consulting on increasing the amount of solar that can be installed on non-domestic buildings, including commercial roof space without the need for a planning application.

As my rt. hon. Friend, the Secretary of State (Eric Pickles) stated on 8 September 2014, Official Report, Column 648, we are considering what further steps can be taken.

Although not a planning matter, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has recently announced ending Common Agricultural Policy subsidy payments from land on which solar arrays are hosted, to ensure that farm subsidies support farmers whose primary use of the land is for agriculture and food production.