A PLAN to restore an ancient landmark has been rejected by planners on the grounds that it would be too intrusive.
A beacon has stood on the heather moorland 1,000 feet above sea level at Danby in the Esk Valley for centuries.
After the structure collapsed three years ago, residents decided to erect a replacement which would double as a commemoration of the Millennium and the Queen's Golden Jubilee.
But members of the North York Moors National Park's planning committee have refused permission for the six metre beacon, despite support from owners of the site, Lord and Lady Downe, English Heritage and English nature.
However, the Moors Association vetoed the idea on the grounds that the steel structure would be out of place.
Group Captain Peter Townsend, a second world war hero, hailed the beacon as a landmark which had played a key part in defeating the Nazis when the site was a radar station.
Val Dilcock, the park's chief planner, said: "This significant man-made structure would severely detract from the experience of the wildness and solitude of the moors and from the special qualities of the area of the park."
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