A decision on whether three 100-metre high wind turbines can be built on land near Gargrave is now not expected until the New Year, seven months after a planning appeal hearing.

The public hearing into EnergieKontor’s attempts to build a wind farm at Brightenber Hill was held over two days in May.

It was the second appeal to the Planning Inspectorate by the energy company, which first submitted a planning application on land owned by dairy farmer Robert Metcalfe in the summer of 2008.

Both the original scheme for five turbines and the later scheme, submitted in April, 2012, were refused permission by Craven District Council because of the impact on the nearby Ash Tree Farm.

A Planning Inspectorate spokesman said: “New guidance was published by the Department for Communities and Local Government following the hearing. This meant interested parties had to be given the opportunity to comment further.

“The further comments we received, together with evidence previously submitted, needs to be given full and careful consideration.”