Wellcome has said it owns a farming business. This page makes no claim about any Wellcome tenant solar policy, because we found none. It covers the law for a tenancy in England and the questions to ask when the landlord is a trust or other institution.
What Wellcome publishes
In a press release of 3 August 2014, Wellcome announced it had bought the Co-operative Group’s farms business for its endowment. The business, now trading as Farmcare Trading Ltd, included about 16,000 hectares, 15 farms with three pack houses and over 100 residential properties. Tenants are mentioned only in passing and renewable energy not at all.
Which law governs your tenancy
Two Acts matter: the Agricultural Holdings Act 1986 (the 1986 Act), covering many older tenancies, and the Agricultural Tenancies Act 1995 (the 1995 Act), covering farm business tenancies. Both are marked on legislation.gov.uk as extending to England and Wales. Confirm which governs your agreement before drafting a request, because their rules on fixtures and compensation differ.
Removing what you fix to the building
Under section 10 of the 1986 Act a tenant can remove fixtures and buildings they put on the holding during the tenancy or within two months after it ends, once rent is paid and on at least one month’s written notice; the landlord can counter-notice to buy at a fair value to an incoming tenant. Section 8 of the 1995 Act has no notice step in its text but lists its own exclusions.
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
Panels need a sound roof and a structure that can carry them. Find out from the tenancy who must repair or replace the roof (the 1973 repairing regulations, as made, put roof replacement mainly on the landlord of an agricultural holding, with some tenant duties, unless the agreement differs) and get a structural assessment first; see solar panel weight and roof loading. For asbestos cement sheets, overclad or strip an asbestos cement farm roof compares the options.
What to put in the written request
Before approaching the land agent, assemble:
- the tenancy agreement and its date;
- roof photographs, age and sheet material;
- array size and layout, and a structural report (solar panel weight and roof loading);
- how it will be paid for (farm solar cost guide, grants and funding);
- the end-of-tenancy position you want agreed in writing.
Tenants of Bedford Estates, Buccleuch and the Church Commissioners will find the same checklist on their pages. For the building and system, see solar panels for agricultural buildings; for wider background, tenant farmer solar and landlord consent.
| Point on this page | Source | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Bought Co-op farms business (Farmcare); about 16,000 ha, 15 farms; tenants only in passing | Wellcome press release, Co-operative Group farms business | 3 Aug 2014 |
| Right to remove a tenant’s fixtures and buildings; exclusions and conditions apply | 1995 Act s.8, 1986 Act s.10 | current text |
| Written consent as a condition of compensation for improvements | 1995 Act s.16, s.17 | current text |
| Who repairs and replaces roofs under the 1973 regulations | SI 1973/1473, Fixed Equipment Regulations | 1973, as made |
Common questions
How do I find out who my landlord’s agent is?
Look for the landlord and agent named in the tenancy agreement and rent correspondence. If neither is clear, ask in writing before you send anything.
Does Wellcome Trust publish a solar policy for tenants?
Nothing on the pages cited describes one for Wellcome Trust (checked 20 October 2026). Ask the land agent whether any standard terms exist and keep the reply.
Who repairs the roof before panels go on?
Check the tenancy first. For an agricultural holding the 1973 regulations, as made, make the landlord mainly responsible for roof repairs and replacements, with some tenant duties, unless the agreement says otherwise; asbestos cement roofs need the separate guide first.
Other estate-landlord and tenant-farmer pages
See the wider UK estate-landlord and tenant-farmer solar resource set: