Productive Farmland Versus Energy Security

A principal conflict impeding large-scale solar farm development in the UK is the competition with productive agricultural land. Over 59% of England's mega solar farms are currently sited on productive farmland, with nearly a third occupying what’s categorised as 'best and most versatile' (BMV) agricultural land grades 1 to 3a. This trend has sparked concern among farming advocates, rural MPs, and countryside charities who warn that losing prime land to solar generation could threaten national food security at a time of mounting global supply risks.

Many local councillors and constituents have publicly criticised projects sited on BMV land, arguing that energy security targets should focus on brownfield sites, rooftops, or less productive fields wherever possible. Critics point out that, while developers often promise to restore land after solar farms’ 40-year lifespan, there is scepticism that full agricultural use will ever return. This tension is fuelling calls for a policy shift to prioritise solar on rooftops and marginal land, and for a potential moratorium on new solar farms on the best farmland.

Landscape, Amenity, and Community Identity Conflicts

Another major land conflict centres on landscape character and rural amenity. Large-scale solar proposals are often highly visible and can transform the look and feel of cherished countryside. Local opposition consistently centres on worries about the “industrialisation” of rural settings and the threat to tourism, village life, and historically significant landscapes. In some high-profile cases, solar farms have generated opposition exceeding 1,000 individual community objections.

This social friction can slow or halt planning applications even where national or local policy is supportive. For developers and landowners—including tenant farmers facing loss of livelihood or tenure—navigating local opposition remains a major challenge for securing land for new arrays.

Biodiversity and Wildlife Impacts Prompt Disputes

Concerns about the impact on local wildlife and habitats have also become central to planning disputes. Community groups often warn that solar parks may disrupt populations of birds, bats, pollinators, and other protected species. Although strong ecological management can enhance hedgerows, create wildflower meadows, and deliver net biodiversity gains, disputes flare over whether the proposed benefits will materialise—or if vital habitats will be permanently lost.

Recent developments have seen planners place greater weight on habitat creation and ecological assessments; some utility-scale solar parks now promise up to 225% uplift in hedgerows and 62% net gain in habitat units. Still, the risk of soil disturbance, impact on priority species, and long timescales for full habitat restoration remain potent conflict drivers.

Cumulative Impact and Land-Use Clustering

Large-scale clustering of solar projects in certain regions is creating 'landscape lotteries', where as much as 7% of a parliamentary constituency can be covered by solar panels. This clustering dilutes local support, triggers accusations of “dumping” projects in more politically vulnerable areas, and generates wider cumulative impact concerns—from infrastructure burdens to ecosystem fragmentation. Such concentrations further intensify debates around strategic national spatial planning for renewables versus a piecemeal project-by-project approach.

Tenant Farmers and Landowner Conflicts

Tenant farmers face unique complications: while landowners may lease land for lucrative solar schemes, tenants can lose agricultural access, business continuity, and even generational connections to the land. With nearly one-third of UK farmland let rather than owned, the interests of tenant farmers often clash with development ambitions—especially where no legal requirement exists to compensate for tenant losses under current planning law.

Green Belt and Protected Landscapes Remain Sensitive

Solar farm proposals within designated Green Belt, Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB), or heritage-protected lands face especially fierce resistance. Here, national planning policy sets a high bar for “very special circumstances," and courts have supported refusals even when projects promise substantial climate benefits. The perceived precedent set by allowing large-scale renewables in protected areas intensifies opposition both locally and at the national political level.

Policy and Legal Uncertainty Adds Fuel

The interpretation of planning rules—such as “overplanting” (installing more panels than originally specified)—has become a legal battleground. While recent court decisions have sometimes favoured developers, continued appeals and planning challenges add uncertainty and fuel local controversy.

Conclusion: Charting a Balanced Way Forward

Resolving these land conflicts requires robust spatial planning, community engagement, and policy innovation—especially to align food, energy, and habitat priorities. Atlantic Renewables works with landowners, farmers, and communities to design solar projects that maximise energy production while minimising conflict and supporting local ecological benefit.

Get in touch

If you are navigating a land-use dispute or aiming to make the best use of your land with solar, call the expert team at Atlantic Renewables on 0161 207 4044. We help resolve complexity so you can seize the opportunities at the heart of the UK’s green transition!