🚜 A National Scandal: Solar Panels Over Food Security
In a move slammed as “soul-destroying” by local councillors and farmers, Ed Miliband—Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change—has personally approved the Oaklands Solar Farm in Derbyshire:
£80 million project
472 acres of farmland
140 megawatts of power
67% of the land classed as Best and Most Versatile (BMV) agricultural land.
📌 Source: Derbyshire Times, June 23, 2025
> ❌ 472 acres of productive English farmland lost ❌ £60 million in foreign imports ❌ Local opposition ignored
All approved by one man: Ed Miliband.
❗ Key Facts You Need to Know
🔥 1. Most of the Land is Top-Quality Farmland
88 acres: Grade 2 (Very Good)
214 acres: Grade 3a (Good)
Total BMV loss: 302 acres
That’s 64% of the entire site — prime land capable of producing cereals, vegetables, and proteins locally.
Yet Miliband wrote this off as a “minimal impact” because it’s only a small fraction of national BMV stock.
> ❗ This is death by a thousand cuts.
Every time BMV land is taken, it chips away at our food sovereignty.📌 Agricultural Land Classification: Natural England, 2012
💷 2. 75% of Project Spend Leaves the UK
BayWa r.e. UK, the developer, admits:
£20 million of spend will stay in the UK (labour, roads)
£60 million will be spent on foreign-made parts not produced in Britain
That’s £60 million leaving our economy while we destroy home-grown land.
> “Miliband calls this green growth. It’s actually green colonisation.”
📌 Source: Derbyshire Times, 2025
🏭 3. Empty Rooftops Still Ignored
Councillor Amy Wheelton hit the nail on the head:
> “It’s incredibly disappointing to see 472 acres of farmland destroyed when you see miles of industrial rooftops down the A38 and at Swadlincote without a single solar panel on them.”
Britain has:
Over 250,000 hectares of commercial roof space
Thousands of warehouses and new homes
Yet government won’t legislate mandatory solar on new builds
Instead, it’s easier to concrete over countryside.
📌 Solar UK: “Commercial Rooftop Potential”, 2023
🧑🌾 4. Farmers and Locals Overruled
Derbyshire County Council: Objected
South Derbyshire District Council: Objected
Residents: Objected
All were overruled by Ed Miliband using powers reserved for Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects (NSIPs).
> No democracy. No food security. No local benefit.
📌 Planning Act 2008 – NSIP Process
⏳ 5. “Temporary Use” Is a Lie
Miliband claims the loss of farmland is “temporary” because the panels will be removed after 40 years.
But in 40 years:
Soil structures degrade
Drainage and compaction damage fertility
Agricultural workers leave the industry
Farming knowledge and rural resilience disappear
📌 CPRE: “Uncertain Harvest”, 2024
⚖️ Miliband’s Balance Sheet: What Did We Gain vs What We Lost?
GAIN LOSS
140 MW solar capacity 472 acres of farmland
35,000 homes powered £60 million to foreign suppliers
110 temp jobs Local democracy and trust
Community fund (£2m) Long-term food security
> “We’re not just losing land—we’re losing control over how Britain feeds itself.”
🧱 Rooftops First. Brownfield Before Greenbelt.
If this government were serious about:
Net Zero ✅
Energy security ✅
Food sovereignty ✅
Then it would start with:
✅ Solar on warehouses
✅ Rooftop solar on every new home
✅ Brownfield land, not BMV countryside
Instead, they’re selling our heritage for a quick PR win and calling it “progress”.
✊ Join the Fight: What You Can Do
✅ Write to your MP: Demand a moratorium on solar projects on BMV land
✅ Support local campaigns: Like the Oaklands opposition in Derbyshire
✅ Call for mandatory rooftop solar: Especially on warehouses and new builds
✅ Push for domestic solar manufacturing: Bring jobs and panels home
📣 Final Word: “We Can’t Eat Electricity”
The climate crisis is real—but we must not fight it by destroying our food system.
Solar has a place. But not at the cost of the fields that feed us.
📄 Download Word Document (.docx)
📎 Download PDF (.pdf)
SAY NO TO THE DESTRUCTION OF OUR LAND 
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