Make solar roofs condition of planning, says CPRE

Countryside charity CPRE has called on government to make rooftop solar panels a condition of planning approval for new homes, commercial buildings and large car parks, ahead of a parliamentary debate today (18 April) on large-scale solar farms. CPRE is campaigning for a “roof-first” solar policy that also prioritises brownfield sites for solar farms and protects greenfield land. It is calling for government to adopt a target of 60% of new solar panel installations to be on roofs and to increase the Smart Export Guarantee for community-led schemes and lower-income households feeding power into the grid. Paul Miner, head of policy and planning at CPRE, said: ‘We urge parliamentarians… to remember that climate change is the biggest threat to the countryside and time is running out to stop it. Decarbonisation must be rapid and make the best use of our finite supply of land.” Photo by Vivint Solar/Unsplash