High quality land 'should be for food' says minister

Daniel Zeichner says there is a balance to be struck between food production, energy production and house building

Farming minister Daniel Zeichner says he believes "high quality land" should be used for producing food, not for house building or solar farms.

Speaking to BBC Radio Cambridgeshire as part of Farmwatch, the Cambridge MP said there was a balance to be struck between energy supply, housing and food security.

Cambridge and the immediate surrounding area is expected to grow significantly over the next two decades. There are also a number of solar farms planned for the region.

It has led to questions about whether there will be less land for growing food, but Zeichner said: "I genuinely believe we can find ways to get the right balance, whilst allowing young people to have a home".

Plans to build hundreds of thousands of new homes along the Cambridge to Oxford growth corridor were announced by the previous government.

More details were given by the current Labour government in January.

Organisations such the National Farmers' Union say they have many concerns about the possibility of farmland being used.

However, Zeichner said that in his view "high quality agricultural land" should "by and large be used to produce food".

Solar farms can help the country move away from fossil fuel use

Regarding solar farms, he said it was important that the country became more self-sufficient in meeting its energy needs, which would help bring down energy prices.

A number of plans for solar farms in Cambridgeshire are being considered. These include Kingsway solar farm, near Balsham, and East Park Solar farm on the Cambridgeshire/Bedfordshire border.

Other project, such as Sunnica, near Newmarket, have already been granted planning permission.

Zeichner said he understood "local anxieties" but that even if the most ambitious amount of solar generation was achieved across the country, it would cover "less than 1% of land mass".

He said he believed that was "less than the number of golf course we currently have".