Senior Conservative MPs and peers are advocating for changes in planning regulations to facilitate the installation of floating solar panels on UK water reservoirs, arguing it would help with energy generation, food production, and water conservation. More than 20 parliamentarians, including three shadow ministers, have signed a letter urging for this change, citing benefits such as reduced evaporation and algae growth. Currently, utility companies can install floating solar panels without planning permission if the power generated is solely for their own use; however, commercial installations must undergo extensive planning processes. The group asserts that easing these restrictions would accelerate the adoption of floating solar technology in Britain, making it more competitive internationally.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-10-07,
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Story summary
Senior Tories are advocating for easier planning regulations to enable the installation of floating solar panels on UK reservoirs. Over 20 MPs and peers, including three shadow ministers, have signed a letter supporting this initiative. The current Permitted Development Rights (PDR) allow water utilities to install floating solar without planning permission if the electricity is used solely for their own consumption. However, when connecting to the National Grid commercially, the full planning system must be followed, which can delay or reject projects.
Tory MP Lincoln Jopp from Spelthorne, whose constituency includes four reservoirs supplying half of London's drinking water, emphasizes that floating solar panels are a sensible solution amid recent heatwaves and droughts. He argues that this approach will help conserve water by reducing evaporation and algae growth while freeing up land for food production. The MPs believe easing planning rules would facilitate the expansion of renewable energy sources, bolstering energy, food, and water security in the face of climate challenges.
Written for “Solar Panels On Reservoirs” on 2026-10-07,
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Leaning: leans right for article 62626 (high confidence, 1 verified quote) · logged 2026-10-07
Senior Tories are backing calls for red tape to be cut to allow solar panels to cover UK water reservoirs instead of green fields.
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panels → back → reservoirs
More than 20 MPs and peers, including three serving shadow ministers, have signed a letter calling for planning rules to be eased to allow construction of floating barrages on more than 570 man-made lakes.
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rules → include → lakes
Currently water utilities enjoy Permitted Development Rights (PDR) that allow them to install floating solar without planning permission on reservoirs - but only if the electricity generated is for their own use on site.
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electricity → enjoy → site
If the panels are to be connected to the National Grid commercially they must go through the full planning system, which takes time and money and could see them rejected.
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them → connect → time
The MPs argue that the change would allow solar power generation to continue and grow but free up more land for food production, while also helping conservate water by reducing evaporation and preventing algae growth.
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generation → argue → growth
Spelthorne MP Lincoln Jopp, whose Spelthorne constituency contains four reservoirs that provide half of London's drinking water, said: 'Given the intense heatwaves and droughts our country has faced recently, floating solar should be seen as a common-sense solution to bolstering our nation's energy, food, and water security.
More than 20 MPs and peers have signed a letter calling for planning rules to be eased to allow construction of floating barrages (pictured: the Alqueva solar farm in Portugal)
Low water levels are seen at Howden Reservoir in the Peak District, after sustained high temperatures and low rainfall in July
Tory MP Lincoln Jopp said: 'Given the intense heatwaves and droughts our country has faced recently, floating solar should be seen as a common-sense solution to bolstering our nation's energy, food, and water security'
'
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solar → contain → security
However, the UK has been far too slow to roll out floating solar, especially compared to our European counterparts.
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UK → roll → counterparts
The two small changes we have set out would make a significant difference to rolling out this innovative technology.
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we → set → technology
It is completely counterproductive that electricity generated by floating solar on reservoirs cannot be sold to the grid.
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electricity → generate → grid
Furthermore, it is nonsensical that we have not extended permitted development rights to floating solar projects on other man-made bodies of water - this would cut costs and construction time for a technology that can bring us water, food, and energy security.
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that → extend → water
For the sake of our nation's security and to remain competitive internationally, the Government should swiftly adopt these small but essential changes to expand and drive investment into the floating solar industry.'
The signatories include shadow transport secretary Richard Holden, shadow farming minister Robbie Moore, shadow security minister Alicia Kearns and former environment secretary Baroness Coffey.
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signatories → remain → Holden
They want PDR to be eased for reservoirs, as well as for smaller artificial lakes, disused quarries and docks.
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PDR → want → lakes
In their letter to Angel Rayner, the Housing, Communities and Local Government Secretary, they say: 'We recognise the importance of building more clean energy infrastructure, but to get it built, we must not sacrifice vital land that can be used for food production.
'Floating solar can help to strike the balance of delivering energy security alongside food security.
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solar → say → security
'This innovative technology can also help to protect our supply of water, as the solar panels reduce evaporation by creating a barrier with the sun, not to mention preventing harmful algal blooms, which pose a risk to wildlife.
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which → help → wildlife
'Alongside delivering these benefits, floating solar has a far lower visual impact compared to many other energy developments, as most potential sites are already industrial in nature.'
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sites → deliver → nature
Earlier this year, Labour ministers backed a new report suggesting that floating barrages could provide enough power for a city the size of Birmingham by the end of the decade, and equal the current generation from all UK offshore wind by 2050.
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barrages → back → 2050
The report, produced for solar operator Bluefield by CBI Economics, suggests that with government support floating solar could cover 30 per cent of the UK's 65,000 hectares of water utility and other man-made water bodies - like disused quarries - by the middle of the century.
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solar → produce → century
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