Solar panels covering farmland, Devon. Photo Derek Harper/geographically.org.uk (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Energy secretary Ed Miliband has approved yet another massive solar farm, to be built on prime food-producing land. The Springwell Solar Farm in Lincolnshire is to be the largest solar farm yet, to cover seven square miles of good agricultural land.
Springwell is the twenty-fifth large solar farm that Miliband has approved since July 2024. When it came to power in 2024, the Labour government scrapped the rules that blocked building solar farms on food-producing land.
Miliband is using planning powers that allow ministers to overrule all local people’s objections to new solar and wind farms, if the minister deems the project is “nationally significant”. They are then approved by default.
Starmer is no innocent bystander. He encourages Miliband’s vandalism: he has pledged to “bulldoze the blockers”. The Labour Party is waging war on our farmers, and the Labour Infrastructure Forum pressure group demands “take on the Nimbys”.