PARLIAMENTARY WRITTEN QUESTION
Solar Power: Land Use (18 March 2026)
Question Asked
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps he is taking with Cabinet colleagues to ensure that solar energy development protects rural land.
Asked by:
Leigh Ingham (Labour)
Asked by:
Leigh Ingham (Labour)
Answer
Solar projects are subject to a rigorous planning process, during which impacts on land use are considered. Planning guidance encourages development on brownfield or previously developed land. Where the use of agricultural land is shown to be necessary, lower-quality land should be preferred to higher-quality land.
Answered by:
Michael Shanks (Labour)
24 March 2026
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