Stuart Anderson MP Opposes Solar Farm
Stuart Anderson MP vowed to keep South Shropshire beautiful when he joined residents at Upper Walton Farm to voice local concerns about proposals for a large-scale solar farm on 130 acres of productive farmland near the village of Onibury.
Stuart Anderson MP said:
“Labour’s plan to triple solar generation is putting South Shropshire’s farmland at risk of being lost forever. Their Land Use Framework will see 1.6 million hectares of land taken out of food production for other purposes. Solar should be placed on rooftops, car parks, and warehouses, not on the fields that grow the food we eat. I joined residents at Upper Walton Farm to voice local concerns about proposals for a large-scale solar farm on 130 acres of productive farmland in Onibury. We deserve a full and proper assessment before anything is decided. I will continue to fight for to protect our precious farmland. We must keep South Shropshire beautiful.”
A public consultation on plans to build a ground-mounted solar farm on Grade 1 and Grade 2 agricultural land — the UK’s “Best and Most Versatile” farmland — is expected to take place in September after Shropshire Council told developers in February that an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is not required for the site. However, the decision has provoked backlash from local environmental groups, who report that the site is home to skylarks, barn owls, ancient oaks, and important hedgerow habitats.
In May 2024, the former Conservative Government issued guidance confirming that the Best and Most Versatile (BMV) land - Grades 1, 2 and 3a - land should be protected to strengthen food security. However, Labour’s Land Use Framework in March 2026 revealed that the UK’s classifications of agricultural land will be updated, with 1.6 million hectares of land to be taken out of food production for other purposes - including nature restoration and renewable electricity generation.
As 84% of land in South Shropshire is currently classified as agricultural, Stuart is worried that this means local farmers could soon be told whether their land would be “better used” for other purposes like solar generation. Research from the Solar Campaign Alliance suggests that 97% of solar in Shropshire is already on Best and Most Versatile land
In June, Stuart raised the case as part of a Westminster Hall Debate on the financial sustainability of the farming sector. He told fellow MPs he is concerned that Labour’s plans will make it more difficult to be resilient and deliver food security as a country. Stuart has warned that further such applications are likely to be proposed as Labour plans to triple solar generation by 2030. However, Stuart has added that solar should be prioritised on rooftops, car parks, warehouses, and brownfield sites - not productive farmland. This follows research from CPRE, which found half of the UK’s 250,000 hectares of commercial, south-facing roof space could power every other home in the UK without the need to build solar farms on the UK’s agricultural land.
