ANTI windfarm campaigners are celebrating the refusal of a scheme that would have seen four new turbines go up near the Washburn Valley.

Tapar had applied to install the 110 metre high turbines on the edge of the Nidderdale Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, off Penny Pot Lane.

The turbines would have been capable, according to figures provided to Harrogate Borough Council, of providing enough energy to power thousands of homes.

But the council’s planning committee followed the case officer’s recommendation and turned down the proposal, which, since the scheme was first mooted in 2012, had attracted 400 comments.

Paul Slater, of campaigning group Save the Dales, said: “I must say a big thank you to all who were able to come and help fill the council chamber for the meeting, and an equally big thank you to everybody who formally objected.

“We must now hope that the applicant has got the message and does not appeal, and that this also will serve as a strong message to others waiting in the wings.”

The group argues the Nidderdale AONB is treasured by many above the Dales National Park for its stunning landscapes, heritage sites, historic picturesque villages built of stone, flooded valleys forming reservoirs and must be preserved for future generations.

Its vistas provide the ambiance of true solitude and peace, says Save the Dales on its website.