Solar panels should be put on roofs, firms say

Solar panels should be put on rooftops and brownfield sites rather then agricultural land, business leaders in South Yorkshire have told Energy Secretary Ed Miliband.

Firms would support plans to put solar panels on warehouses, industrial units and factories if the process was made easier, a joint letter from the region's chambers of commerce said.

The letter said business leaders were reacting to recent plans for a large scale solar farm across three sites in South Yorkshire, called Whitestone Solar Farm.

A Department for Energy Security and Net Zero spokesperson said even in the most ambitious scenarios solar would only occupy up to 0.4% of total UK land by 2030.

Current government policy allows use of agricultural land for solar panels, but prioritises brownfield and non-agricultural land.

The letter, from the Barnsley, Doncaster, Rotherham and Sheffield chambers of commerce, said businesses needed "the right incentives, certainty and planning conditions" to put solar panels on their buildings.

Sian Booth from Doncaster Chamber of Commerce said: "If it was easy and straightforward, businesses would be doing it by now.

"I don't know of a single business in our membership that wouldn't chomp at the bit for something that's going to save the planet and save them money."

She added that current planning constraints and the upfront costs of solar panels made the idea prohibitive for many firms.

The joint letter said that there was growing concern among businesses about the impact that solar farms on agricultural land could have on food security.

It called on the government and industry to "do more to prioritise alternatives to high-grade farmland wherever feasible - particularly the extensive rooftop capacity across the region's manufacturing and logistics estates".

Miliband will make the final decision on plans for the Whitestone Solar Farm in his capacity as Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, due to the scheme's status as a Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project (NSIP).

If approved, the solar farm would cover 3,500 acres and could power 250,000 homes, according to the developer.

The plans have been opposed by three MPs and by Doncaster Council.

A Department for Energy Security and Net Zero spokesperson said: "The biggest threat to agriculture and nature is the climate crisis.

"Solar is one of the cheapest forms of power – getting us off fossil fuels and delivering energy security so we can get bills down for good.

"All projects are subject to rigorous planning processes, and the views of the local community must be taken into account."

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