British farmers in crisis as they're booted off their land in a drive for more solar power

British farmers are being kicked off their land in a drive for more solar power, the former head of the National Farmers Union (NFU) has warned.

Minette Batters, who stepped down from the role in February, made the remarks during a debate at the Hay Literary Festival on Tuesday, and launched a passionate attack on how large-scale solar farms are being built and its impact on farmers, insisting "there's a huge amount not to like".

Responding to a question from an audience member who voiced concerns about the increase in vast solar farms covering several square miles of land, she lamented "horrific examples" where tenant farmers are losing their land due to huge solar schemes so landowners can make more money, MailOnline reports.

Batters said while investors, including private equity firms and overseas financiers, are able to snap up large chunks of rural land, this trend will continue, as she warned the country is "up for sale."

She urged the next government to prioritise a new land strategy, which provides protections to traditional farming and properly acknowledges its economic value.

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"We are selling off land to people who don't pay their taxes here," she said. "It does have to change."

Batters said while she could understand opposition to solar farms, she also has sympathy for farmers choosing to cash in on projects of this kind, and opting for a guaranteed, index-linked income.

She said: "You can understand at the moment, from a farmer's perspective... £1,200 a hectare (per year), index-linked, locked in for 20 years, what's not to like?

"For everybody else, there's a huge amount not to like. This is the trouble with a solar farm. There will be one beneficiary."

Batters said in some "horrific" cases, farmers who are tenants of larger landowners have been forced to leave their farms, making way for solar sites.

She called for action over the way land ownership by high net-worth investors is being allowed to proliferate, citing the debt-fuelled take over of supermarket giant Morrisons.

"We saw what happened with Morrisons. We might not have a British-owned supermarket in 10 years," she said, adding that private equity has now moved into land.

Batters stressed the importance of "a meaningful land use strategy" that would see a value given to land used for traditional farming and new developments including solar and housing.

She said the government should help to promote solar being installed on rooftops over land, and expand the use of wind turbines, the outlet reports.

Large-scale onshore wind farms were under a de facto ban until last year, though wind turbines are permitted on a small scale.

"The Conservatives know how divisive this (solar) is. You saw Rishi Sunak and Liz Truss saying we're going to stop putting solar on land and put it on rooftops," Batters said.

"Farmers ought to be able to provide (electricity from) solar and wind turbines - solar on rooftops. I really hope Labour (implements this)... with their plans for GB Energy."

She said she had "real doubts" about the opposition party's proposed state-owned energy company as the plans are "uncosted", but said they "need to do it."

Almost 500 solar farms are dotted around the country, with Shotwick Park, in Flintshire, North Wales, currently the largest - covering 250 acres - but it would be be miniscule in comparison to the proposed Botley West solar farm.

It is planned for three sites in Oxfordshire which would cover 2,471-acres on land owned by Blenheim Palace, but is awaiting planning consent, while another 2,500 acre solar farm has been proposed on the Cambridgeshire-Suffolk border.

The Labour Party and No 10 have been approached for comment.