The Government has recently committed to a target of 47GW of solar power by 2030, tripling the existing 15GW of installed capacity, meaning that there will need to be a significant increase in the number, size and scale of solar developments seeking planning consent.

However, worries have been expressed over the impact the plan will have for farmland, both in terms of food security and with inconsistent approaches for Environmental Impact Assessments and planning processes.

Currently solar farms occupy less than 0.1 per cent of UK land, according to data presented by Solar Energy UK, but to meet the government’s net-zero target, the Climate Change Committee estimates that we will need 90GW of solar by 2050 (70GW by 2035), which would mean solar farms would at most account for approximately 0.6 per cent of UK land.

As a result, the Institute of Sustainability and Environmental Professionals (ISEP) has published the new guidance: Solar PV on Agricultural Land – Essential Components of Environmental Assessments and Reports to support consistent, evidence-based decision-making for all sides of the UK planning system, including for environmental consultants, developers, and local planning authorities. The guidance supports projects by setting out clear expectations for agricultural land classification surveys, soils, biodiversity net gain, pollution risk management, and socio-economic analysis.

ISEP senior policy lead for impact assessment, Dr Rufus Howard, said: “With a significant increase in the number, size and scale of solar developments seeking planning consent expected in the next five years, there are risks for agricultural land in the UK without proper assessment. We need a balance between tackling energy security and the climate crisis, our need for food security and preserving biodiversity and natural habitats.”

Howard continued: “Crucially this guidance emphasises the importance of protecting the ‘best and most versatile’ (BMV) agricultural land and maintaining the reversibility of solar developments. We recommend promoting the use of poorer-quality land wherever possible and call for independent soil audits following decommissioning to ensure farmland can be restored to good condition.”

Projects for solar PV range from those covering a few hectares (ha) to large schemes covering hundreds of hectares, including some in excess of 1,200 ha.

In July 2025 CPRE pointed out that 59 per cent of England’s largest operational solar farms are located on productive farmland, principally in the arable East of England, where almost a third (31 per cent) of the area they cover is classified as BMV agricultural

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