Council farmland will not be used for solar energy

1 hour ago

Mariam IssimdarNorfolk

PA Media 16 sheep in a field. They are marked with blue or red paint. A large bare-leaf tree stands in the centre of the field. hedgerows surround the grassy field.

Farms owned by Norfolk County Council will not be used for solar energy.

The authority made the pledge not to allow any of its 16,000 acres of agricultural land for use as solar farms after being asked a question by a member of the public.

In its response on 26 January, the cabinet member for corporate services and innovation said: “Norfolk has had too many solar farms already and we need to protect our environment and the important arable land that feeds this country.”

The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero said the “biggest threat to agriculture and nature is the climate crisis.”

“Under this Conservative administration we will not be using any of this land for solar farms, and will ensure, as set out in our constitution the minimum holding of 16,000 acres,” the county council cabinet member said.

The council’s response also revealed the purpose of its county farms was to provide entrance and progression farms.

With its flat terrain and generally sunnier weather, Norfolk had been regarded as an ideal place for solar farms – and several of the UK’s largest facilities have been proposed for the county.

East Pye Solar would see the installation of solar panels on farmland in south Norfolk – including in Brooke, near Norwich – to generate power for 115,000 homes.

Energy company Island Green Power, behind the scheme, has claimed the site will create jobs and help the UK meet climate change targets.

The government has said previously the schemes were necessary to reduce energy bills, cut carbon emissions and provide better energy security.

But critics have warned about the loss of agricultural land and the impact on the look of the countryside.

NEIL HALL/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock A drone picture shows a huge solar farm near the village of Great Wilbraham, near Cambridge, from above. Thousands of panels cover a huge field. The solar farm is surrounded by fields and trees.

In a statement, a government department spokesperson said: “Solar is one of the cheapest and quickest forms of energy to build – getting us off fossil fuels and delivering energy security so we can get bills down for good.

“Even in the most ambitious scenarios, we only expect up to 0.4% of total UK land to be used for solar by 2030.”