Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of solar farms on soil (a) carbon storage, (b) structure and (c) biodiversity.

No assessment has been made of the potential impact of solar farms on soil.

When considering development proposals that affect agricultural land and soils, the Government encourages developers and local planning authorities to refer to relevant Government policies and legislation that aim to protect all soils by managing them in a sustainable way.

The previous Government did not commission research into this space, so it is currently unclear what impact solar panels may have on soil properties such as carbon storage, structure and biodiversity across England. However, a solar farm development near Kenilworth (Honiley Road solar farm) reports that it delivered 135% Biodiversity Net Increase.