Natural England has published a guide to maximising the environmental benefits of large-scale solar parks, about 20 of which have been recently developed on farmland in the UK.   image expired

The aim of Natural England’s latest Technical Information Note is to help developers and landowners deliver additional environmental benefits from their sites, above and beyond the provision a low-carbon source of electricity.

Discussions between Natural England and stakeholders including the NFU and the Farming and Wildlife Advisory Group (FWAG), the document covers recommendations for vegetation, soil and watercourse protection, biodiversity enhancement, landscape, compatibility with agri-environment schemes and RPA-approved guidance on eligibility for SPS.

Welcoming the Natural England guide, Dr Jonathan Scurlock, chief renewable energy adviser to the NFU, said, "We believe these guidelines make a valuable contribution to the debate about multi-functional land use - environmental stewardship together with a source of land-based income that addresses climate change.

"While this summer’s Feed-In Tariff changes may have brought about a halt to further large-scale solar park development, the continued falling cost of solar PV modules and the urgent need to deploy renewable energy makes it likely that solar farms will be viable again in just a few years’ time."

The guide, Solar Parks: Maximising Environmental Benefits, is available here.