Countryside Alliance responds to New Homes (Solar Generation) Bill

Ahead of the Second Reading of the New Homes (Solar Generation) Bill that will take place in the House of Commons on Friday 17 January, the Countryside Alliance has issued a briefing note to MPs outlining our position on the matter.

The importance of solar energy to meeting the UK’s energy security needs and fulfilling its commitment to net zero is undeniable. Solar development must continue but it is important to ensure that it is situated in the right places.

A perception has been allowed to develop that agricultural land has become the default option for solar energy infrastructure because it can be cheaper than alternative sites when deployed at scale, not because it is the right social and environmental option. The Countryside Alliance is concerned about this trend and therefore supports this Bill. We agree with the dual use of land that is already being developed so it can contribute to our energy needs, and a default expectation that new homes will incorporate solar panels is a sensible next step.

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This enabling Bill would require the Secretary of State to make regulations requiring the installation of solar photovoltaic generation equipment on new homes built from 1 October 2026, covering at least 40% of the new home’s ground floor area, subject to exemptions.

We support net zero carbon emissions for the UK as an environmental and economic policy objective. Rural Britain must not be required to bear burdens that are impractical and disproportionate. Other important objectives, principally food security, must not be sacrificed.

Other government priorities, including the drive towards net zero carbon emissions, can only be sustained as long as there is food on the shelves. The interests of food security require that food production must continue to be the primary use for productive farmland.

We responded to the government consultation on the National Policy Framework last September making a case for a “rooftop-first” approach to solar installations as part of the government’s bid to boost renewable energy. We argued that solar panels should be placed on the rooftops of new homes, commercial buildings and car parks before using farmland or greenfield sites.