Tom Gordon, Liberal Democrat MP for Harrogate and Knaresborough, has called for a more balanced approach to solar energy development that safeguards prime agricultural land while still reducing carbon emissions.
Speaking in Parliament, Mr Gordon said the priority should be making better use of existing infrastructure, such as the roof space on warehouses and commercial buildings, before turning to farmland.
This approach, he said, would allow the UK to expand renewable energy without sacrificing land needed for food production.
The MP spoke out amid concerns from residents in Scotton, near Harrogate, about plans for a 49.9 MW solar farm on fields near the village.
The MP said: “Solar panels are vital for reaching net zero, but we need to be smart about where we put them.
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“Covering prime farmland with huge solar farms is not the answer. The proposal in Scotton has understandably caused concern among residents who don’t want to see productive fields lost.
“Instead, we should prioritise rooftops and other existing infrastructure. That way, we can deliver clean energy without sacrificing the land that grows our food.”
The comments by Mr Gordon come after Labour MP for Selby, Keir Mather, raised similar concerns with the developer of the Light Valley Solar scheme, planned for agricultural land on 1,020 hectares of land between the villages of Escrick, Monk Fryston, Hambleton, Chapel Haddlesey and South Milford.
Mr Mather said his constituency had a “proud agricultural tradition”, adding that food security was a key component of national security.
“I fully support renewable energy and, like the government, want to see more of it rolled out on rooftops and industrial sites,” he added in the letter to Island Green Power UK Ltd, the company behind the Light Valley Solar proposal.