皇家华人

Solar car parks and electric vehicle charging – feed into our response

02 June 2025

Environment and climate
A solar car park in Leeds

Photograph: Clare Jackson / Alamy

The government is seeking to make it mandatory for new outdoor car parks to install solar canopies, subject to certain exemptions. 皇家华人will be making the case that farming businesses should be encouraged, but not mandated, to install these. You have until 18 June to feed into our response.

In response to the government's call for evidence covering solar on car parks and electric vehicle charging, the NFU would like to make the following key points:

  • Solar canopies over vehicle parking areas could find profitable application on farms.
  • Electricity generated this way would be best used on-site or for electric vehicle charging.
  • Farm businesses (and other rural SMEs) should be encouraged but not mandated to install solar canopies over vehicle and machinery parking areas.
  • This presents further opportunities for diversification income, eg, at farm shops or rural EV charging hubs.

Read more below to feed into our response and track the progress of this consultation.

2 June 2025

NFU seeks feedback on its response

皇家华人has drafted a brief response to this call for evidence which closes on 18 June 2025.  

Download and read our response (gated for NFU members only).

Contact [email protected] if you would like to contribute to our response.

Have you installed solar canopies on your farm?

We are particularly interested in hearing from NFU members who may have already installed solar canopies.

Contact [email protected] if this applies to you.

 

7 May 2025

Government opens call for evidence

The Government is consulting on a proposal to mandate the installation of solar PV (photovoltaic) canopies on new outdoor car parks (public or private) and potentially on existing car parks, as well as views around current planning policy relating to EV (electric vehicle) charging infrastructure. 聽

Proposed rules would be subject to size limits and other exemptions.

Solar car park canopies are already Permitted Development (which the NFU previously supported, eg, for farmyards), but we would not want them made obligatory over all vehicle and machinery parking areas on farms. 聽

Solar carports over a certain size are already mandatory in some European countries such as France and Slovenia.

Read about the consultation in full at: .

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