Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info. A Gloucestershire MP has said large solar farms on agricultural land are not the way forward to combat climate change. A parliamentary debate on Tuesday, January 28, led by Dr Roz Savage, MP for South Cotswolds, ignited a crucial discussion on the impact of large-scale solar farms on agricultural land.
The Westminster Hall debate brought to light the growing concerns of local communities, the future of renewable energy, and the role of government regulation in ensuring a balanced approach to climate action and land use. Dr Savage, an advocate for environmental issues, opened the debate by underscoring her unwavering commitment to addressing climate change but expressed strong reservations about the widespread development of large-scale solar farms. I have met people who are set to lose their entire countries to rising seas.
Let me be clear: nobody can doubt my commitment to strong action on climate change. However, there are many ways to skin the climate cat, and I do not believe that solar parks on the scale of Cottam, Cleve Hill, Longfield, Mallard Pass, Gate Burton, Sunnica, and the proposed Lime Down in my own constituency of South Cotswolds are the best way forward.
Dr Savage noted the growing distress among her constituents regarding the proposed Lime Down solar farm, stating that their concerns should not be dismissed. Rachel Gilmour, Liberal Democrat MP for Tiverton and Minehead, echoed these concerns while reaffirming her support for renewable energy.
However, I am also a pragmatist. In Washford, in my constituency, a massive solar farm is being built on particularly good agricultural land. We must be practical and put solar panels on commercial buildings and residential houses, rather than on farmland. Dr Savage agreed, emphasising that alternative locations for solar energy should be explored before agricultural land is sacrificed.
