Solar parks could be used to boost bumblebee numbers, study suggests

Lancaster University researchers say sowing wildflowers alongside panels would have benefits for farmers who rely on pollinators

Solar parks could provide habitats for wildlife - and particularly bumblebees - to flourish, if managed in the right way, benefiting farmers and nature, new research suggests.

There are already 14,000 hectares (35,000 acres) of solar parks in the UK, in which arrays of solar panels are installed over a large area, and an estimated 90,000 hectares will be needed. Yet the parks have attracted controversy over claims they are ugly, blight productive land and harm nature.