THE first stage of one of the world's biggest wind farms, which is being built in the North-East, has been given the go-ahead by planners.

The £30m farm will be based both offshore and on the former steel sites at Redcar and Lackenby, on Teesside, and will be home to 19 wind turbines.

At a meeting of Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council's planning committee, the go-ahead was given to a request to build an mast and install radio equipment at the breakwater, off the South Gare at Redcar.

The mast will also be used by the Tees and Hartlepool Port Authority and its existing tower will be removed.

The scheme is the first stage of a wind farm complex which, when fully operational, will generate enough power to supply a good proportion of properties in the Redcar and Cleveland borough.