Farming around Ludlow
Ludlow and the Teme and Corve Dales support a classic Shropshire farming landscape: beef cattle and upland sheep on the hills, dairy and mixed farms in the valley floors, arable on the lower slopes towards Bromfield and Woofferton. Holdings are typically 200-800 acres of mixed agriculture. The area has a growing regenerative and organic farming community, with several farms actively transitioning from BPS to SFI payments and seeking solar to reduce input costs. The combination of solar savings and SFI income makes the overall business case particularly strong for farms in this area.
Local installation profile
- County: Shropshire
- Local authority: Shropshire Council
- DNO: NGED — typical G99 turnaround 8-14 weeks
- Solar irradiance: 1,000 kWh/m²/yr
- Population: 11,000
- Neighbouring areas covered: Bridgnorth, Tenbury Wells, Craven Arms, Church Stretton, Leominster, Cleobury Mortimer
- Nearest installation hub: Midlands hub
Planning and grid considerations
Shropshire Hills AONB applies widely around Ludlow — ground-mount solar within the AONB boundary requires full planning consent and a landscape and visual impact assessment. Rooftop solar on existing agricultural buildings is generally permitted development within and outside the AONB, though listed buildings require listed building consent. NGED grid capacity in the Ludlow substation area is adequate for most farm-scale installs up to 250 kW; larger systems may need a budget enquiry.
Grants and tax relief for Ludlow farms
- ✓ FETF (England) — up to 40% capital, £100k cap per project. Annual Feb-Mar window. Full grant guide.
- ✓ 100% Annual Investment Allowance — write down residual cost in year one. Reduces £60k net to an effective £36k cash outlay in year one.
- ✓ Smart Export Guarantee — 4-15p/kWh for surplus generation exported to grid
- ✓ SFI Agroforestry and Upland payments — widely available for Shropshire Hills area holdings around Ludlow
Typical farm solar projects near Ludlow
| Farm type | System | Gross cost | After FETF + AIA | Payback |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beef + sheep (hill farm, 400-1,000 ac) | 30-80 kWp | £21-56k | £11-30k | 2.0-2.6 yr |
| Dairy (100-200 head, valley floor) | 50-120 kWp | £35-84k | £19-45k | 1.8-2.3 yr |
| Mixed (arable + stock, 300-600 ac) | 50-150 kWp | £35-105k | £19-56k | 1.9-2.4 yr |
| Free-range poultry (8k-16k bird) | 50-100 kWp | £35-70k | £19-37k | 1.6-2.0 yr |
What's included in every Ludlow quote
- ✓ Free desk feasibility from your half-hourly meter data (3 working days)
- ✓ On-site structural and electrical survey
- ✓ FETF grant application written and submitted (90%+ approval rate)
- ✓ NGED G99 grid connection application managed end-to-end
- ✓ MCS-certified Tier-1 panels (Trina, JA Solar, REC, SunPower)
- ✓ Asbestos cement roofing assessed; licensed removal coordinated if needed
- ✓ 25-year panel warranty, 10-year inverter, 5-year workmanship
- ✓ IWA insurance-backed warranty for 10 years even if we cease trading
- ✓ Annual maintenance contracts from £250/year