Green energy for green belts

Abei Energy is proposing to develop a Solar Farm and Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) on 31 hectares on green belt land on the edge of the village of Aston near Rotherham. The proposal is currently under consideration by Rotherham Council. 

This will be an interesting one to watch. Green Belts were primarily created to control urban growth and prevent urbanisation. The first Green Belt designation dates back to 1935.  

Solar PV and BESSes are not urban development and arguably not the type of development which Green Belts were intended to prohibit, and it may be that they come into play as part of the collective push and general national & UK government support for renewable energy projects.