Time to look at ‘alternatives’ to countryside solar, West Midlands MP urges

West Midlands MP Wendy Morton called for "alternatives" to using countryside land for energy generation as the Liberal Democrats' Max Wilkinson introduced his New Homes (Solar Generation) Bill.

Mr Wilkinson, the MP for Cheltenham, said his proposal to require new builds to come with solar panels as standard - also known as the Sunshine Bill - was a "win-win" for both the planet and billpayers' budgets.

Intervening in his speech, Ms Morton, who is MP for Aldridge-Brownhills, told the Commons that she was aware of precious green spaces around the West Midlands that are being taken up for solar farms when they should be used for agriculture.

She said: "In the shift towards more solar panels, I fear many of those will go on prime agricultural land."

She added that "it's time we need to look at alternatives, look at where the solar panels are being placed as a way of protecting communities and our green belt".

Brought before MPs as a private member's bill, Mr Wilkinson's proposals have received support from executives at several companies including renewables firm Ecotricity and the housebuilder Thakeham.

If it becomes law, new builds would come with solar panels covering at least 40 per cent of their ground floor area, with exemptions for smaller roofs which cannot physically accommodate panels, tall buildings more than 15 storeys high, developments where panels would not prove cost-effective, and projects featuring other forms of renewable energy generation.

Ms Morton told the Commons that there was huge pressure on open space in the West Midlands and that using up prime land for solar farms was adding to that pressure.

She said: "I think this is becoming increasingly, shall I say, worrying, because we are now starting to see policy around grey belt.

"I really fear that if we do not really thoroughly grasp the issue of where solar panels are going and battery storage and all the other renewables, we risk green belt all of a sudden in a few years' time be then defined as grey belt and it risks being built on."

The debate heard repeated calls for the Bill to be broadened out, and include the addition of panels on the roofs of existing homes, as well as public and industrial buildings.

There have been many projects to install solar panels on rooftops in the West Midlands in recent years in order to boost electricity production and bring in revenue for their owners. Buildings covered in panels include the Shirehall in Shrewsbury and the Mander Shoppinbg Centre in Wolverhampton.

Labour MP for North East Hertfordshire Chris Hinchliff said: "We face many challenging decisions locally to balance the need for renewable energy with the protections of our high-quality farmland, whilst also preserving and enhancing space for nature. 

"So it is unsurprising that residents in North East Hertfordshire can clearly see the common sense in putting the solar panels we need on rooftops." 

Conservative MP for Herne Bay and Sandwich Sir Roger Gale said he would support the Bill. 

He said: "In east Kent, we are losing grade one agricultural land far too frequently to both development and to the use for solar power generation, and it's completely unnecessary. 

"As I've said many times... we have acres and acres of rooftops in public ownership on public buildings and schools, hospitals, prisons, in addition to acres of car park space." 

He added: "If we use all of that, then I can see no need whatsoever to use fine agricultural land that should be used for growing crops, for feeding people, for these purposes."

Mr Wilkinson said there was a "clear market preference for home with solar panels because a relatively small proportion of the price will be rewarded with a decent payback", and pointed to research by the MCS Foundation which showed panels on the Labour Government's target of 1.5 million homes would bolster energy generation by the equivalent of two Sizewell C nuclear power stations (3.2 gigawatt each).

He had earlier told MPs: "This Bill helps us tackle the cost of living and climate change too, a clear win-win."  Mr Wilkinson quoted from Morecambe and Wise's Bring Me Sunshine when he said: "'Let our arms be as warm as the sun up above' and let us think about how 'much joy we can bring to each brand new bright tomorrow'."