A rugby club’s attempts to install a wind turbine on its land have failed for the second time in a year.

Leeds City Council had already rejected an application for a 36m high turbine at West Park RUFC in Bramhope.

Now it has refused permission for a smaller 24m mast on a different part of the club’s land.

A submission to the council, from Universal Green Energy, said: “The complex itself holds seven full-sized rugby pitches, with one being an all-weather pitch.

“Over the past five years, there has been serious investment into the site. The aim has been to create one of the best rugby training facilities in the North.

“This has been achieved, as proven with the full England Rugby team training there over the winter.

“However, as the facilities are being used regularly, with as many as three pitches being floodlit at the same time, the energy use is very high and for the future, the energy costs need to be off-set to ensure the site remains feasible.”

But, refusing the decision, the council said it would constitute inappropriate development in the Green Belt.

It says: “The Local Planning Authority considers that the proposed wind turbine is unacceptable in this lowland landscape setting, due its large size, scale and prominent siting and would appear as a visibly dominant structure over an unacceptably large area. When compared with other existing scale indicators in the local area the turbine would appear disproportionately large especially when compared to the size of existing and consented turbines in the locality.

Adel and Wharfedale councillor Barry Anderson (pictured) said: “I welcome this decision, as I felt that it would have had a negative visual impact on the area. It was also too close to housing, in my view. I am pleased that the main refusal reason is because this area lies in the green belt and we must continue to refuse any applications for inappropriate development in the green belt.”