A CONCERTED campaign has been launched to stop up to 120 wind turbines being erected near two national parks.

The Save Mowbray Vale group is urging residents to register their opposition to towering energy generators being erected in Hambleton District and aims to pool the resources of the remote hamlets near proposed wind farms to make opposition more effective.

The group says thousands of residents remain unaware of plans to build several wind farms between the Yorkshire Dales and North York Moors national parks, including at Bullamoor, Appleton Wiske and Whitwell, near Northallerton.

It claims the major reason power firms, such as Infinis, have not been able to proceed with their turbine plans was due to concerns over interference with the air traffic control radar at RAF Leeming and that the issue is set to be resolved in the coming months.

The group’s advisor, Gerry Smith, who led a successful campaign in 2011 against a wind testing mast on the banks of Thornton Steward reservoir, near Leyburn, said he understood once the radar issue had been resolved the Vale of Mowbray would see a raft of wind farm proposals.

He said: “Very few people will be aware of a 2011 study, commissioned by local government in Yorkshire, which highlighted that Hambleton District has a potential capacity for around 120 commercial-sized wind turbines.”

The campaign group initially aims to attract residents to register their opposition to wind farms at savemowbrayvale.co.uk and raise awareness of potential proposals by RWE Npower Renewables’ at Whitwell, after erecting a 91.5m wind study mast.

Nick Terry, of nearby Forest, said a wind farm at Whitwell would blight the surrounding villages, and its negative impact would extend over much of the Vale of Mowbray, which covers 75 per cent of Hambleton District.

“Combined with the wind farm at Bullamoor, which already has consent, and the one proposed for near Appleton Wiske and Welbury, the impact on this beautiful area and its tourism will be catastrophic,” he said.

A spokesman for Infinis, which has planning permission for four 132m turbines at Bullamoor, said the MoD had reviewed the technology available to overcome wind turbine interference to radars.

He said: “The results have now been assessed and the industry is awaiting further feedback from the MoD in relation to the steps that are to be undertaken to progress this.

“Once satisfactory results are obtained, the safety case can be completed and the necessary equipment procured.

“Unfortunately, timescales for this are not known due to the complexity of the arrangements for the purchase and operation of the equipment.”