A Devon-based environmental charity is calling on all district councils across Devon to follow North Devon's example, banning solar installations from productive farmland.

Environmental charity Devon CPRE says it has "warmly welcomed" the news that North Devon Council has voted to protect farmland by prioritising small solar installations on roofs and car parks, and large ones on brownfield rather than greenfield land.

The motion, proposed by Cllr Pru Maskell, called on the government to develop policies to support these priorities and provide financial incentives for rooftop and car park solar projects. Currently, the financial incentives push developers towards ever-larger solar parks on greenfield sites.

“This is a very welcome and timely move by North Devon, as offshore investors are lining up to create mega-solar installations in several parts of the county, including North Devon and Torridge,” said Devon CPRE chairman Steve Crowther. “We sincerely hope that other district councils will follow suit and send a clear message to the speculators that they are not welcome on our green land.

“At a time of such geopolitical instability and uncertainty, it is crazy to cover productive Devon farmland – one of the UK’s principal food production units – with inert glass and steel arrays which produce on average 10 per cent of their theoretical power capacity and have to be backed up with huge battery banks.

“North Devon’s principled stance follows on the heels of several councils that have taken a similar line in the past 18 months. The remarkable thing is that these motions have been pushed through by parties from across the political spectrum – from the Greens in Suffolk and Liberal Democrats in South Norfolk to Reform UK and Conservatives in Doncaster and Derbyshire – showing that the government’s approach to energy policy and food security is falling far behind the public’s expectations.”

Devon CPRE is currently leading opposition to two mega-solar sites, one of 2,700 acres at Holsworthy and a growing cluster of 700 acres around Alverdiscott. The charity is urging Devon residents and visitors to sign the petitions calling on the government to stop these developments: devoncpre.org.uk