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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department has plans to introduce soil management requirements for solar farm developments.

Defra has no plans to introduce soil management requirements for solar farm developments. However, Biodiversity Net Gain and other mechanisms will influence how the soil/land is managed over the lifespan of the panels after construction.

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