Do You Need Planning Permission for Ground-Mounted Solar on Farmland?

Updated 20 October 2026 · SEO Dons Editorial

This guide is for landowners and farm businesses asking whether a ground-mounted array needs consent, and from whom. It covers England, where most enquiries come from, and flags where the devolved nations differ. SEO Dons is an independent publisher, not a planning consultant or land agent; use this to frame the questions, then take advice from a planning consultant or your council before you commit money to a scheme.

Which consent route applies to which project

The route depends first on whether the panels go on a building or in a field, then on size. The table summarises the England position as it stands in October 2026.

Project	Usual route in England	What to check
Roof-mounted solar on farm buildings	Permitted development under Part 14 Class J of the General Permitted Development Order, with no capacity cap since 21 December 2023	Systems over 50kW need prior approval from the council on design and appearance; listed buildings are excluded; check the roof structure and for asbestos-cement sheeting
Ground-mounted array for the farm’s own use	Treat as needing full planning permission from the local planning authority	A G99 application to the distribution network operator is needed for almost every farm-scale system; the grid cost can decide whether it works
Ground-mounted solar farm up to 100MW	Normal planning application to the local planning authority	Schemes between 50MW and 100MW now go to the council too
Ground-mounted solar farm over 100MW	Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project: a development consent order examined by the Planning Inspectorate and decided by the Secretary of State	The threshold rose from 50MW to 100MW on 31 December 2025 under the Infrastructure Planning (Onshore Wind and Solar Generation) Order 2025

Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have their own planning and consenting regimes with different thresholds. Check with your council before relying on any English rule.

What the council will ask about a field-scale scheme

Whatever the size, a ground-mount application is judged against national policy and the local plan. Three things recur.

Land quality

The National Planning Policy Framework defines best and most versatile (BMV) land as Agricultural Land Classification grades 1, 2 and 3a. Its agricultural land policy (N2 in the August 2026 framework) says proposals should take into account the quality of agricultural land and, where significant development of agricultural land is necessary, use poorer quality land where possible. Planning Practice Guidance asks councils to check whether poorer quality land has been used in preference to higher quality land, and whether the scheme allows continued agricultural use or biodiversity improvements around the arrays. Councils must consult Natural England where a proposal not in line with the development plan would lead to the loss, or likely cumulative loss, of 20 hectares or more of BMV land. BMV land is not banned; it carries a heavier burden of justification. Our guide to agricultural land classification and solar explains the grades, and the land classification map guide shows where to look yours up before you spend anything.

Weight for renewable energy

The same framework gives substantial weight to the energy security, economic and net zero benefits of renewable energy, says applicants should not have to demonstrate need, and expects time-limited schemes to come with decommissioning and restoration proposals. In practice the energy benefit is accepted in principle and the argument is about where the panels go and what they displace.

Decommissioning and restoration

Planning Practice Guidance describes solar farms as normally temporary structures, and councils can use conditions to require removal and restoration when the site is no longer in use. For a landowner the more important question is the lease: who pays, and what security backs it. That is covered in our solar farm land lease guide.

Environmental impact assessment

There is no fixed megawatt trigger. Larger schemes may need environmental impact assessment screening by the planning authority, which looks at the site’s sensitivity (landscape designations, heritage, ecology, flood risk) as well as its size. Ask the council for a screening opinion early if your scheme is large or the site is sensitive; the answer shapes the surveys and the timetable.

Who applies: you or a developer

If you own the array, you or your agent applies and carries the planning risk. If you lease land to a developer, the developer applies, usually after signing an option with you, and the council decides. Option agreements commonly run three to five years while the developer seeks planning and a grid connection, so a refusal or a long delay can leave the land tied up. Ask for a firm longstop date in the option. What happens at each stage is set out in the lease guide. Security fencing is a common planning condition; see solar farm security, fencing and your lease.

Before you spend money: a short checklist

Find your land grade and whether any field is BMV land (Defra’s Predictive ALC map of April 2026 is strategic only, at 1:250,000, so expect a field survey).
Ask which substation the scheme would connect to and whether a connection offer exists; grid capacity decides more schemes than planning does.
Check constraints on the site: flood zones, rights of way, heritage and landscape designations, how visible the array would be from homes and roads.
Decide the route: lease to a developer, own an array for the farm, or put panels on buildings. Our solar panels on farmland guide compares the three on food, income, tax and planning.
Test the scale of the opportunity with the solar farm land calculator before speaking to a developer.

Frequently asked questions

Can I put ground-mounted solar panels on my farm without planning permission?

Not in England if the array is a field-scale ground-mounted installation: treat it as needing planning permission from the local planning authority. Roof-mounted solar on farm buildings is usually permitted development under Part 14 Class J, with prior approval for systems over 50kW. Check with your council, because the rules differ in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Who decides a solar farm planning application in England?

For schemes up to 100MW, the local planning authority. Above 100MW it is a Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project, decided by the Secretary of State after examination by the Planning Inspectorate. The threshold rose from 50MW to 100MW on 31 December 2025.

Does using poor-quality land make planning easier?

Yes. Policy asks decision-makers to prefer poorer quality land where significant development of agricultural land is necessary. Grade 3b, 4 and 5 land is not best and most versatile land and is the easier planning case, although grid, landscape and ecology still have to work.

Sources

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