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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps she is taking to ensure that planning decisions on large-scale solar developments consider their potential effects on (a) Green Belt land, (b) Sites of Special Scientific Interest, (c) heritage assets and (d) landscape amenity.

The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero’s National Policy Statements for Energy (EN-1) and Renewable Energy Infrastructure (EN-3) provide the policy framework for decisions on Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects above 100MW, including consideration of their potential impacts on Green Belt land, Sites of Special Scientific Interest, heritage assets and landscape amenity.

Planning applications for solar projects below 100MW are determined by local planning authorities under the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 in accordance with the development plan unless material considerations indicate otherwise. The National Planning Policy Framework, which is the starting point for the preparation of development plans and a material consideration in planning decisions, sets out relevant policies for assessing such impacts.