Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what tests his Department applies when assessing the necessity of the use of best and most valuable land in a Development Consent Order application.

The National Policy Statement for Energy (EN-1) and the National Policy Statement for Renewable Energy Infrastructure (EN-3) detail the Secretary of State’s considerations regarding the necessity of Best and Most Versatile (BMV) agricultural land. EN-1 notes at 5.11.12 that the Applicants should seek to minimise impacts on the BMV agricultural land (grades 1, 2 and 3a) and preferably use land in areas of poorer quality (grades 3b, 4 and 5). EN-1 notes at 5.11.34 that the Secretary of State should ensure that applicants do not site their scheme on the BMV agricultural land without justification, and where schemes are to be sited on BMV agricultural land the Secretary of State should take into account the economic and other benefits of that land.