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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if she will make it her policy to block applications for Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects which include solar photovoltaic panels on grade 1, 2 and 3a farmland.

The government’s ambition is to triple solar capacity by 2030. However, planning policy is clear that where development of agricultural land is demonstrated to be necessary, areas of poorer quality land should be prioritised and there is no intention to reduce this protection.

For planning decisions made through the Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects (NSIP) regime, there is a rigorous process designed to scrutinise larger projects and developers must work closely with local authorities and communities before approval is granted.

In our recent consultation on proposed reforms to the National Planning Policy Framework, we proposed raising the thresholds for NSIP solar developments. The consultation closed on the 24 September and officials in my department are currently analysing responses with a view to publishing a government response before the end of the year.