North Devon has been a target for large solar farm applications in recent years (file image)(Image: Pixabay)
Solar panels on commercial and public buildings and car parks could become policy at North Devon Council in a bid to prevent prime farmland being eaten up by large solar farms.
The district has been a target for large solar farm applications in recent years and there is concern that farming income could reduce further if more farmland disappears.
Cllr Pru Maskell’s (Con, Braunton West and Georgham) motion to adopt a political stance in favour of smaller solar installation on rooftops and solar canopies and encourage the use of brownfield sites for solar farms was supported by North Devon Council this week.
She said North Devon had the opportunity to lead the way on this following North Devon Hospice’s solar panel installation on its car park.
She said nationally, farming income was down by up to 40 per cent and farmland solar projects were not helping. Energy security and food security should be treated with equal importance.
Cllr Liz Bulled (Con, North Molton), a local farmer, said farmers were “on their knees” and needed all the help they could get.
Agricultural land was finite and in times of international unrest sustainable home grown food needed to be increased, she said.
Cllr Bulled said she supported the need for green energy but told the committee that there was “no such thing” as an electric tractor so farmers had to rely on fossil fuel.
Red diesel had doubled in price and employing a contractor for farm work could cost around £700 a day.
Sixty per cent of fertilizer came through the Strait of Hormuz which was closed due to conflict in Iran.
Livestock farmers were becoming increasingly reliant on organic fertilizer the animals produced themselves so this should be encouraged on “every acre of North Devon,” she said.
“Tourists don’t come here to see fields and fields of solar panels but fields of sheep and cattle. We have to work together to put solar panels in the right place not on productive farmland.”
Cllr Robin Milton (Ind, Bishops Nympton), also a farmer, said there were a relatively low number of uses for roofs on buildings other than keeping the rain out and that could be done with a solar roof.
He said he was surprised planning policy had not reached that stage particularly with commercial buildings
“I absolutely support it and feel it is appropriate for us as a council to support our rural economy as well as our net zero ambition.”
The motion has been referred to the joint planning policy committee and strategy and resources committee to discuss.
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