Solar Power: Decommissioning
The question
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what guidance he has issued to local planning authorities on enforcing land restoration following the removal of solar developments.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook
The Planning Practice Guidance (PPG) on renewable and low carbon energy sets out that solar farms are normally temporary structures and that planning conditions can be used to ensure that installations are removed when no longer in use and the land restored.
Local planning authorities have powers to take enforcement action against any breach of planning requirements. The PPG on renewable and low carbon energy can be viewed here and guidance on planning enforcement can be found on gov.uk here.
The government is currently consulting on a new National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) that includes clearer, ‘rules based’ policies for decision-making and plan-making. The consultation includes policy on the decommissioning of renewable and low carbon energy development and site restoration.
The consultation can be found on gov.uk here and will remain open for responses until 10 March 2026.
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