Derbyshire farmer fears he will be turfed off land for solar farm

Andrew Dakin is a third-generation tenant farmer, but now looks set to lose his land to one of two new solar farms

A Derbyshire farmer fears he could lose his livelihood if plans for a solar farm go ahead.

Andrew Dakin is the third generation of tenant farmers who have worked the land at Kidsley Farm, near Heanor.

But plans for a new solar farm could see all his farming land sold off and solar panels put in place instead.

Mr Dakin said it would be impossible for him to continue farming if Amber Valley Borough Council granted permission for the solar farm.

The solar farm, which would be built on Mr Dakin's land, is one of two applications for neighbouring solar farms north of Derby and Smalley, which would sit 500m apart and cover an area of 328 acres.

Mr Dakin said the farm on his land, which would span 180 acres, would take away all the fields he uses to rear cattle for beef and leave only the house he lives in.

Mr Dakin keeps cows on the land

He told the BBC he would be enormously sad if he was forced to stop farming.

He said: "It's a way of life. It means absolutely everything and it would be devastating to see it go for a solar farm.

"It's all I've ever done - I've never been on holiday since I was 15 because I love being on the farm and I don't want to be anywhere else."

A spokesman for the solar farm developer, Intelligent Alternatives, said issues relating to land ownership and tenancy were private commercial matters.

He said building on greenbelt land was allowed in special circumstances, such as tackling climate change, and pledged the land would be reinstated for agriculture afterwards.

The spokesman added the full planning applications would not be submitted until after January and the community and councils would be kept informed.

Amy Wheelton stands by the solar panels she has installed on her outbuildings

Amy Wheelton, who is a tenant farmer and local councillor who also sits on South Derbyshire District Council's planning committee, said she was alarmed at the number of applications being made for solar farms on agricultural land.

"Solar can be good," she said. "I've no argument with somebody wanting to put it on their chicken sheds or their business.

"But you can have farmers that have been three generations farming, as I have on my tenanted land - some have invested millions in their businesses - and like that it's gone.

"There's no security of tenure and it's just wrong."

Ms Wheelton has solar panels covering her office rooftops and said it was "crackers" to use agricultural land for solar farms, as there was enough south-facing roof space in the UK to produce half the country's energy needs.

Three generations of Mr Dakin's family have farmed the land near Heanor

George Dunn, chief executive of the Tenant Farmers Association, said the issue of tenant farmers being turfed off their land for solar farms was a "huge and growing issue" and called for a national database of solar schemes to illustrate the scale of the issue.

He said: "People are losing their businesses here for a pittance in terms of compensation.

"We're worried that food security is being damaged by the amount of land we're potentially going to see lost to solar schemes.

"We would much prefer this being put on to roofs of buildings and farm buildings and having microgeneration rather than these huge schemes taking the best and most versatile agricultural land out of production."

However, Sam Richards of Britain Remade, said moving quickly to renewable energy "simply has to happen".

He said: "If we truly believe that we have a climate emergency, if we really want to cut our energy bills, then fundamentally we're going to need to build."

Mr Dakin's landlord, The Locko Estate, has been contacted for comment.