Boris Johnson asked to protect farmland being turned into solar farms

Clive Glover is among a number of campaigners fighting a proposal to construct a solar farm across 20 fields between Elstree and Radlett.

More than 1,400 have objected to the scheme on Hertsmere Borough Council's planning portal, making it the most objected scheme in Hertsmere's history.

Protesters, who have printed banners and hung them up around the borough, are concerned about the size of the scheme and what it would do to the current landscape.

Sharon Woolf, pictured, is among those leading the opposition to the Hilfield Solar Farm application. Credit: Lynn Margolis Photography

See more: Campaigners step up effort to fight solar farm near Elstree

The Hilfield Solar Farm proposal is not the only one to come forward or be considered in the UK, and in his petition to Boris Johnson, Mr Glover has expressed his concerns about the loss of agricultural land for solar farms.

He wrote: "Over the past few years, there have been a soaring number of planning applications across the UK to build very large 'solar energy farms' covering thousands of acres of agricultural land, with some even in the green belt.

"Such projects involve taking over productive food-growing fields with hundreds of thousands of tall solar panels in order to generate 'green' electricity for periods typically up to 40 years.

"During this period, the farms are unable to grow any food crops or raise animals. Only a few exceptions graze sheep, though this is going out of fashion with the developers. The developers usually offer to 'improve the local biodiversity' but there are no guarantees that the existing wildlife will not be permanently impacted."

An example of solar panels in the countryside. Credit: Pixabay

Mr Glover says industrial solar energy plants should be located on previously developed or brownfield sites or rooftops, rather than "valuable" agricultural land.

While he accept that solar PV panels produce electricity from sunlight, he believes solar farms are "inefficient" when it comes to producing energy, when taking into account the amount of land used up.

Instead, the campaigner believes offshore wind power and hydroelectric systems are "significantly more efficient for its land footprint".

See more: Hertsmere MP Oliver Dowden responds to concerns about solar farm plan near Elstree

An offshore wind farm off the coast of Kent. Credit: PA

Mr Glover said: "The Building Research Establishment announced in 2016 there were around half a million acres of rooftops facing in the right direction for solar panels. But scaling up such systems by installing hundreds of thousands of panels to put electricity into the National Grid is hugely inefficient as such panels typically only generate 12 per cent of their maximum capacity in the UK climate.

"If the same area of land was used to build homes, but only 12 per cent of the homes were ever used, there would be outrage."

He added: "Over the coming decades, as we face up to the challenges of climate change, we need to be able to produce enough food for ourselves. We currently import more than 40 per cent of our food, and recent threats by countries to ban exports of vaccinations have highlighted the threat that similar bans could be imposed on food if countries are themselves short of supplies in the future.

"Further it is predicted that we will need to produce 56 per cent more food by 2050 due to increasing populations. We have not increased food production by 56 per cent in the last 30 years, and if we continue to build on farmland we have no hope of achieving it in the next 30 years either."

See more: What 6 key consultees think about proposal for solar farm in Elstree

The campaign in Hertsmere runs under the slogan 'Save Our Green Belt. Stop the Solar Plant'. Credit: Lynn Margolis Photography

The fields shaded grey is where the solar farm development would predominantly cover. Credit: Google Earth

Mr Glover is calling on the Government to end the development of large-scale solar farms on "prime agricultural land", and make it mandatory for a minimum of 50 per cent of all new builds to include rooftop solar power.

His Change petition, which can be found here, to the Prime Minister, has been signed by more than 500 people.

Enso Energy is the company involved in the application to build a solar farm locally.

In its representations, the applicants have explained that its plans will help provide the equivalent annual electrical needs of approximately of 15,600 family homes - adding the need for increased renewable energy is "urgent", pointing towards the climate emergencies that have been declared by various agencies and local authorities, including Hertsmere Borough Council.

Enso has said the project will utilise a fixed tilt system with bifacial solar technology to ensure that the energy produced per hectare is maximised, adding that its plans do aim to "significantly enhance" the biodiversity of the site, with a net gain of 39.54 per cent.