Thirsk and Malton's Kevin Hollinrake MP described the move as a blow to British agriculture and food security.
He states: “The decision of Minister Matthew Pennycook to act on behalf of the Secretary of State is to approve solar farms at Eden Farms to approve solar power plants at Old Malton.
“By enabling Harmony Energy Ltd to develop a vast 52.86 hectares of solar farms on key farmland, the government shows that energy security is more important than food security, that is, more important than the surprising myopia policy direction.
“It's a blow to UK agriculture and food security. It means that about 60% of the land in question is part of the country's most fertile and productive farmland. The loss to the development of the industrial scale of the land means that it is a direct attack on British agriculture, the domestic food production.
“The government's own policies recognize the importance of food security, but this decision ignores these commitments. Instead of protecting its ability to produce food locally, this control increases its dependence on imports, exposes the UK to a volatile global food market and compromises sustainability.”
Hollinrake said the decision would have devastating effects on the sturdy families who have cultivated the land.
“Arguably the most disastrous thing is that despite the persuasive evidence presented in Eden Farm's longtime tenant farmers, robust families and public investigations, this decision chose to make the labor farm successful and create great difficulty and uncertainty for hardworking farm families with deep community roots.
“Stardies have been cultivating this land for years and their livelihoods depend on it. The decision to remove their land from almost half of their tenants will further impact the rest of the farm business and threaten the safety of their families' homes. It's unfair and unnecessary.
“As I have consistently emphasized, planning policies make it very clear that large-scale solar should not be placed on the best and most versatile land.
“If the UK continues to place solar panels on productive farmland, there is a risk of replacing energy security for food security.”
Hollinrake added: “Renewable energy is important, but we should not sacrifice families in food production or farming. This solar farm approval will undermine the national food security by not using productive farmland, and will not fully address the catastrophic human impact on robust families and their businesses.”
