Greg Smith is supporting a group opposing the development near Granborough, and says other green energy solutions could be used to save farm land.
The proposed development, Rosefield Solar Farm, will use 2,100 acres of land in North Bucks, which is currently farmed by 3 tenant farmers.
Mr Smith, the Conservative MP for North Bucks, and the Claydons Solar Action Group, argue wind turbines would require a smaller foot print and generate more energy.
The opposition group say 1 turbine produces enough energy for 16,000 homes, compared to the 140 acres needed for solar to power 9,000 homes.
They also say they are not against using the land for renewable energy sources, but insist a compromise is necessary to protect business and livelihoods.
Mr Smith told Bucks Radio that solar energy is not the way forward, and believes it's a problem around Europe, not just the UK, and more should be done to explore viable alternatives. You can listen to our interview with the MP, and Jamie Ingham Clark, deputy chairman of the Claydons Solar Action Group, below. There's also more about the proposed development.
Greg Smith speaks to Bucks Radio:
Jamie Ingham Clark, deputy chairman of the Claydons Solar Action Group, told us more about what they want, and the feeling locally:
The Claydons Solar Action Group (CSAG) is a collective of concerned residents from the local villages affected by the Rosefield Solar Farm proposal. The 'farm' is to be located on 2,100 acres of agricultural land on the Claydon Estate - the ancestral home of the Verney family for over 400 years. This land is currently farmed by 3 tenant farmers who will lose all or some of their livelihoods if this proposal goes ahead, and will also be a threat to local jobs. Our farming industry plays a vital role in our long-term national food security, and farming and the countryside, are important parts of our daily lives in this part of rural Buckinghamshire.
Villages affected: Botolph Claydon, East Claydon, Middle Claydon, Calvert, Quainton, Granborough and Hogshaw plus Steeple Claydon, Edgcott and the small market town of Winslow in Buckinghamshire. There's more about the group here (EXTERNAL SITE)
You can see the proposed development on the Aylesbury Vale planning portal here (EXTERNAL SITE), and on the Rosefield Solar website here (EXTERNAL SITE)
Rosefield Farm Solar have announced another public consultation and say they have already reduced the amount of land required. You can read more here
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