Key Conclusions

• This Report uses the new Predictive Agricultural Land Classification (ALC) map for England, released in April 2026, that, for the first time, distinguishes ALC Grades 3a and 3b and thus allows precise estimation of the amount of Best and Most Versatile (BMV) land (ALC Grades 1 to 3a inclusive) that is being taken up by ground-mounted solar installations in England. 

• 50.9% of all land in ALC categories 1 to 5 is BMV land, and 49.1% non-BMV, but 61.3% of ground-mounted solar is on BMV land and only 38.7% on non-BMV land.

• Although the total amount of land currently used by ground-mounted solar in England is a fraction of the total available (c. 0.9%), this figure varies considerably regionally, from only 0.22% in the North West to 1.98% in the East Midlands. 

• Nation-wide, land-take by solar is higher in the BMV categories (1.25%) than in the non-BMV categories (0.82%).  Again, there is a great deal of regional variation, with the greatest discrepancy in the North East (0.90% BMV vs 0.36% non-BMV) and the lowest in the North West (0.21% BMV land vs 0.25% non-BMV land). Solar land-take of BMV land is higher than that of non-BMV land in six out of eight English Regions (the ninth Region, London, has no BMV land).  All of this development has been piece-meal, with no overall strategic spatial plan. 

• Thus, in both relative and absolute terms, ground-mounted solar in England is taking a disproportionately large share of BMV land, in direct contrast to Government recommendations to avoid such land.

The details

• For England as a whole, the percentages of ALC Grades 1 to 5 are 3.5%, 15.2%, 22.2% (ALC Grade 3a), 24.2% (Grade 3b), 7.6% and 7.5% respectively.  The remainder is either Non-Agricultural land (8.4%) or Urban areas (11.4%). 

• For ground-mounted solar installations across England as a whole, the percentages on ALC Grades 1 to 5 are 4.1%, 17.9%, 34.9% (ALC Grade 3a), 31.9% (Grade 3b), 3.0%, and 1.1% respectively, with 2.5% on Non-Agricultural land and 4.6% in Urban areas.

• The total UK capacity of all ground-mounted solar installations is currently c. 67,360MW, or 67.4GW. The Government’s aim to increase the total amount of operational solar installations up to 75GW by 2035 (85GW including rooftop solar) means that more land will be needed in the future for this renewable energy source. 

• Unless the present recommendations are much more actively enforced, or unless new legislation is introduced to protect productive land (e.g. including more land in the BMV category) we will continue to see encroachment of solar on land that is best used for growing food.  A developing food crisis, recently declared a national security concern, will not be averted by losing yet more land to solar.