16/05/24 - Water company landscape plan, solar farm planning, horticulture strategy and rural tourism

Farmers are being asked to support South East Water with its new 25 year environment plan - launched this week - which includes creating a new super nature reserve. More than 80% of the area covered by the company across Sussex, Kent, Hampshire, Surrey and Berkshire, is agricultural. The company is under investigation by OFWAT after it was revealed as the worst performer for supply interruptions last year, and some local farmers are not impressed by the new plan. Land use and the rules around it are back under the spotlight following new government advice on planning for solar farms. It's made clear that councils should only give permission for panels on high quality farmland when "necessary", and that they should take into account any other solar farms in the area to consider their cumulative impact. This follows changes earlier this year which made it harder to put panels on the 'best and most versatile' farmland. We reflect on new Government plans for horticulture revealed at the Farm to Fork Summit. And we meet the Northern Ireland sheep farmer who has turned his everyday life into a tourist attraction. Presented by Charlotte Smith

Produced for BBC Audio in Bristol by Heather Simons