Opponents of plans to build a giant windfarm in the Yorkshire Dales face an anxious wait until the man who advises the Government walks a grid some two kilometres square around the proposed site near Gargrave.

In the meantime, the Friends of the Craven Landscape (FoCL) are appealing for donations to help them pay “worrying” legal fees run up in their battle to stop five wind turbines higher than Big Ben dominating the landscape for up to 40 miles around.

The Skipton-based enquiry ended last week and the inspector, John Braithwaite, will publish his findings at the end of February of early March but has promised to walk the area around the proposed site and will visit key viewports from the Yorkshire Dales National Park before he comes to any conclusions.

Says a FoCL spokesman: “What are our chances? It’s impossible to say. We always knew this would be a tough fight and we are doubly sure of that now. The combined cases of the District Council, the National Park, the Lutyens Trust and Friends of Craven Landscape were very strong but Mr. Braithwaite must work within national policy, which is very rigid.”

Anyone wishing to contribute towards the legal fees fund should send donations to:
FoCL
PO Box 46
Skipton BD23 9DA