If you rent farm buildings from Bedford Estates (Woburn), the questions below apply as to any tenant. This page does not describe how Bedford Estates handles solar requests: we found no published policy and make no claim about its process or requirements. Every source is in the table.
What Bedford Estates publishes
Its home page describes about 200 properties in Bloomsbury and says the wider Woburn Estate includes farming, forestry and rural enterprises. It has no section on tenancies, renewable energy or sustainability, so ask the estate’s land agent what, if anything, is written down.
Which law governs your tenancy
First find out which statute governs your tenancy. Many older tenancies fall under the Agricultural Holdings Act 1986 (the 1986 Act); more recent ones are often farm business tenancies under the Agricultural Tenancies Act 1995 (the 1995 Act). They give tenants different rights over what they add, so your agreement, solicitor or land agent should confirm which applies.
Removing what you fix to the building
Section 8 of the 1995 Act lets a farm business tenant remove fixtures they attached and buildings they put up, during the tenancy or afterwards while still in possession. It excludes items installed under an obligation, items replacing the landlord’s own and items already compensated for, and the tenant must repair damage caused. Section 10 of the 1986 Act is similar but adds notice and a landlord’s option to buy.
Consent and compensation
For a farm business tenancy, section 16 of the 1995 Act gives compensation at the end of the tenancy for a tenant’s improvement, but not for a physical improvement that has been removed. Section 17 makes the landlord’s written consent a condition; it can sit in the tenancy or be given separately, and may depend on an agreed change to the terms.
Who repairs the roof under the array
The roof matters as much as the paperwork. For an agricultural holding, the 1973 repairing regulations, as made, put roof repairs and replacements mainly on the landlord unless a written agreement says otherwise, and give the tenant duties such as keeping gutters and valleys clear. A farm business tenancy turns on its own agreement. For asbestos cement sheets, read solar panels on asbestos cement farm roofs and overclad or strip an asbestos cement farm roof.
What to put in the written request
Put the request in writing, with:
- roof photographs and dimensions;
- system size, layout and fixing method;
- a structural engineer’s assessment;
- who pays and who owns the array (see farm solar cost guide and grants and funding);
- insurance, grid connection and the position at the end of the tenancy.
The same checklist is set out for tenants of Buccleuch, the Church Commissioners and the Crown Estate. Roof and system questions are in solar panels for agricultural buildings; tenant farmer solar and landlord consent gives background.
| Point on this page | Source | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Bloomsbury property; Woburn Estate includes farming and forestry; no tenancy or renewables section | Bedford Estates home page | undated |
| Tenants may remove fixtures and buildings they add, with exclusions | 1995 Act s.8, 1986 Act s.10 | current text |
| Landlord’s written consent; compensation for improvements | 1995 Act s.16, s.17, s.67 | current text |
| Default roof repair duties on an agricultural holding | SI 1973/1473, Fixed Equipment Regulations | 1973, as made |
Common questions
Does Bedford Estates publish a solar policy for tenants?
We found none for Bedford Estates on the pages cited (checked 20 October 2026). Ask the land agent whether anything is written down, such as standard alteration terms, and keep the reply.
Do I need the landlord’s consent to put panels on a let building?
The tenancy’s alteration and improvement clauses decide. Written consent is also a condition of compensation under section 17 of the 1995 Act and, for long-term improvements, section 67 of the 1986 Act.
Can I take the array with me when the tenancy ends?
Section 8 of the 1995 Act and section 10 of the 1986 Act let tenants remove some fixtures, with exclusions. Whether an array qualifies is for a solicitor; get the landlord’s view in writing.
Other estate-landlord and tenant-farmer pages
See the wider UK estate-landlord and tenant-farmer solar resource set: