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Written question asked by Patrick Spencer (Independent (affiliation)) on Thursday, 25 June 2026, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Monday, 29 June 2026. It was answered by Michael Shanks (Labour) on Friday, 3 July 2026 on behalf of the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero.

Solar Power

Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what proportion of the capacity required to meet the 47GW solar target by 2030 will come from (a) rooftop installations, (b) brownfield and previously developed land and (c) greenfield development; and what steps he is taking to prevent the greenfield element falling disproportionately on high-quality agricultural land.

Answer

The Government has not set discrete targets for rooftop and ground-mounted solar by 2030.

However, modelling suggests that, even in the most ambitious scenarios, only up to 0.4% of UK land (0.6% of agricultural land) would be devoted to solar in 2030.

Planning guidance makes clear that, wherever possible, developers should utilise brownfield sites. Where the development of agricultural land is shown to be necessary, lower-quality land should be preferred. Each project is subject to a rigorous planning process, in which any impact on land use or food production is considered.

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
13403
Session
2026-27
Subjects
Agriculture Buildings Brownfield sites Greenfield sites Solar power
Contains statistics
Yes
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk