The Environment Secretary has sought to reassure farmers after Government forecasts showed that 9% of agricultural land needs to be axed by 2050 to meet green targets.
In a speech at the Royal Geographical Society in London on Friday, Steve Reed launched a consultation on the long-awaited land-use framework, a guide for planning authorities and land managers on the future of England’s finite landscape in the face of escalating demands.
Consultation documents presented newly collated datasets and maps outlining how land-use must shift in the coming decades as the changes and populations grow.
Under the proposals, the highest quality agricultural land will remain protected for food production, but ministers will also look at where land can be used for other needs such as solar farms, reservoirs, roads, new woodlands and new towns.
In order to meet national environmental and climate targets, the Government predicts that 1.6 million hectares of England’s land may need to change its use by 2050.
Estimates show about 9% (760,000 hectares) of agricultural land must be replaced by measures like solar panels, tree planting and habitat restoration.
A further 3% of agricultural land (430,000 hectares) will need to be farmed primarily for environmental purposes, with limited food production.
To keep this on track, ministers predict at least half of these changes must be made by 2035.
The South West and the Peak District could see some of the biggest transformations, with agricultural land in the areas identified as potentially more suitable for purposes like peatland restoration and tree planting.
However, the Environment Secretary sought to reassure landowners and farmers that the Government “won’t tell anyone what to do with their land but help them take better decisions”.
Mr Reed said the Government will instead work with decision-makers across the countryside to develop the “levers” and “incentives” that can drive the necessary changes.
“Until now, there has been no clear direction set by government on how our land could best be used across England and how to support those who make decisions about land, how to minimise trade-offs and maximise potential,” he said.
“We need better data and tools to inform decision-making so we can grow the food to feed the nation, build one and a half million new homes to address the housing crisis, construct the energy infrastructure to secure home grown clean power and, underpinning all these ambitions, protect and restore nature.”
He later added that it is “entirely possible” to do all this on England’s limited land.
It comes as part of ongoing efforts to rebuild trust with farmers, who continue protests against proposed changes to inheritance tax, a political flashpoint for an industry crippled by rising costs, unfair supply chains, tough market conditions and worsening climate impacts.
Mr Reed reiterated the Government’s “cast-iron commitment” to food production.
“The prize of this is to strengthen rather than weaken food production,” Mr Reed said.
The forecasts predict that continued improvements in the productivity of agricultural land, boosted by more nature and climate resilience measures, will offset the loss of agricultural land.
“The prize of this is to strengthen rather than weaken food production,” Mr Reed said.
But Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch criticised the proposals when she spoke to broadcasters during a visit to a farm in Cheshire on Friday.
“To add even more burdens, saying that we are going to spend more time on net zero, shows they are not serious,” she said.
“We need to talk about food security and food production and making life easier for farmers, not harder.”
Tom Bradshaw, president of the National Farmers’ Union, called on the Government to introduce targets on British food production, alongside green targets, and to support investment in the sector.
“Over the past 18 months, the UK farming industry has taken a battering,” he said.
“All have left their mark and have put homegrown food production under serious pressure.
“It’s imperative this framework does not further restrict farmers’ ability to produce the nation’s food.”
The Government plans to hold a series of workshops and roundtables across the country over the next few weeks to inform the datasets, final framework and delivery mechanisms.
Alistair Carmichael, chairman of the Environment Committee, welcomed the consultation, saying: “The framework is long overdue but now is an opportunity for the Government to produce a coherent plan for land use across England and it is vital that the Government hears the voices of those who stand to be directly affected and heeds their views as it designs the framework.”
David Walsh, head of public affairs at WWF, called the consultation “a crucial first step”.
But he added: “(I)t won’t deliver what’s needed unless we have a stronger legal framework in place that ensures the needs of farming, nature and climate action are met, and addresses the risks of increasing environmental damage overseas.”
Hilary McGrady, director-general at the National Trust, said: “Environmental incentives have been slow to materialise and farmers have been stuck in limbo, many unable to plan for the future.
“Alongside the framework, we’ll be looking for the Government to be generous in its support and offer choice to farmers, recognising their ability to create the long-term change we need as a nation.”
