Councillors call on Government to set out policy on renewable energy developments as South Staffordshire farmers targeted for their land
Some Staffordshire farmers are being called “constantly” with requests to buy their land for renewable energy developments, a county councillor has revealed.
The surge in applications for solar farms and battery energy storage systems (BESS) for farmland across the county has caused concerns for community leaders and residents alike in rural areas of Stafford Borough, Staffordshire Moorlands and South Staffordshire.
Staffordshire County Council’s administration is now urging the Government to set out a “coherent policy” and strategy for renewable energy developments in England. The issue was discussed at Wednesday’s cabinet meeting (November 19).
Councillor Andrew Mynors, cabinet member for connectivity, said: “When we have been out to farms over the last six months it has been very difficult for farmers. They’re trying to get on with their work and they’ve been having phone calls continuously, every day, asking ‘can we discuss to sell your land for a solar farm?’
“Some farmers will be open to that and some not. For some of the farmers we’ve spoken to it’s been very stressful and they’ve highlighted that – they’re trying to get on with their job, which is to produce food, and they’re having to take these phone calls constantly trying to buy their land.”
In the report to cabinet he added: “Demand for energy is expected to soar in coming years, with much of the provision earmarked to come from renewable energy. At present we feel the Government is trying to ‘run before it can walk’ by allowing an uncontrolled growth of renewable energy and battery storage sites without full consideration of the issues and how they are affecting local communities.
“We call on Government to think through this process by creating a wider strategic overview of land use, recognising the need for food security as well as energy security, and of equitable land allocation between urban and rural areas so they everyone is sharing the responsibility of contributing to the energy needs of Great Britain plc.”
Cabinet members have previously spoken out against use of land on the authority’s county farms estate for renewable energy schemes such as solar panels and battery energy storage systems – although the use of buildings will be considered.
Councillor Chris Large, cabinet member for finance and resources, said at a meeting last month: “Where we encourage solar panels onto farm buildings, that will be to reduce the carbon footprint of that, and that’s a sensible thing to do. We would advocate that, but not the BESS (battery energy storage system) solar battery farms – we are opposed to that approach.”
Wednesday’s cabinet discussion came just days after deputy leader Martin Murray spoke to members and officials of the NFU (National Farmers’ Union) at the English Winter Fair about the authority’s plans to safeguard the council farm estate. The seasonal livestock showcase returned to the County Showground near Stafford following a year’s absence due to the threat of bluetongue disease in 2024.
Jeremy Lowe, NFU Staffordshire county adviser, said: “Solar farms offer an attractive diversification income opportunity for farmers when we strike the right balance between food production and climate ambitions. National planning guidance and NFU policy both express a preference for large scale solar farm development to be located as far as possible on lower quality agricultural land, avoiding the most productive and versatile soils.
“At a local level developments can have a cumulative impact on an area and the rural community must be taken into account in planning decisions. Utilising farm building roofs and canopies for solar should also be incentivised as this delivers a sustainable method of energy production while avoiding any land use conflict.”
