A 100-year-old hydro-electric power plant at Linton Falls, near Grassington, is to be restored.

When the work is completed, electricity from the River Wharfe-driven power station will be lighting the way in the Yorkshire Dales National Park for the first time in 60 years.

The national park has granted planning permission for the project, which includes restoring the scheduled ancient monument and fitting new turbines and other equipment to allow it to generate renewable energy that will be exported to the National Grid.

The power station was built in 1909 and generated electricity until the village was given a mains power supply in 1948.

Now building and civil engineering contractor JN Bentley has been given planning permission to restore the power plant subject to a legal agreement being signed.

The application attracted letters of support from nearby residents.

Peter Watson, the national park authority’s head of planning, said: “It’s exciting to think that the old hydro-electric power house will once again be generating renewable energy and I’m pleased to say there is local support for this project.

“This project brings together two vital characteristics of the national park – the protection of its cultural heritage and the promotion of new technologies to meet the climate change challenge and protect the environment.

“We will continue to support renewable energy schemes that are sympathetic to the national park’s magnificent landscape and that provide real benefits for the local community. In the case of the mill, the local benefit is that part of the area’s history will be restored to its former glory and, in general terms, the building will not use any fossil fuels to produce electricity.”

The project has the support of English Heritage which has been working with JN Bentley alongside the national park authority. It will involve the installation of two Archimedean screws which will be turned by water from the River Wharfe. The project is expected to generate around 510,000 kilowatt hours of electricity each year, saving around 216 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions compared with fossil fuel power generation.