SolarQ have conducted analysis on a number of the NSIP Solar Farm projects showing the grades and areas of agricultural land for each project. The work also includes how much of the land is being leased, and how much will be freehold under Compulsory Purchase Order (CPO) powers. This shows two very clear trends with these schemes:
- The vast majority of land to be used will be grade 3 and above, meaning that no real effort is being made to prioritise lower grade agricultural land. This is counter to the expectations that developers must show that they have not targeted Best and Most Versatile (BMV) land, and have looked for suitable alternatives.
- 85% of the schemes are opting for freehold arrangements. Landowners may sign an option agreement in the early stages, thinking that they have agreed to lease their land, only to find later that the land to be put under panels and batteries will be compulsorily purchased. This will take tens of thousands of hectares of BMV land out of agricultural use (or nature restoration) forever.
Why it matters
The transfer of land ownership to the solar developers allows them to sell both the business and the land to other investors, many of whom may be overseas or part of large corporations with other future intentions for the land. Some of these transfers are already underway, and local communities and Local Authorities have no say or power to prevent it.
Read the full analysis
The full SolarQ analysis can be read in the accompanying documents:
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