VILLAGERS have formed a protest group to fight plans to build two wind turbines, which they say would be as tall as Blackpool Tower.

Members of Selby Community Residents Against Powergen (SCRAP) fear the twin towers will blight the landscape, harm wildlife and devalue their homes.

The protest group's latest meeting on Monday night at Riccall Methodist Church prompted a turnout of 100 residents, of whom only two were in favour of the wind farm.

SCRAP chairman Chris Clay said a similar meeting, in Skipwith Village Hall, attracted 50 villagers, all of whom were against the project.

He said: "We surveyed nearly every house in Skipwith and just under 90 per cent were against the project.

"These turbines are taller than the cooling towers at Drax Power Station and almost twice the height of York Minster.

"We're told they are the biggest yet in the country."

Powergen wants to construct the 364ft high turbines on the Escrick Park Estate, which is owned by Charles Forbes Adam.

The company says the turbines would provide enough "green" electricity for 2,700 homes.

But villagers in Escrick, Skipwith and Riccall say the noise and visual effects would be an "environmental disaster" and trigger severe health problems for local residents.

They also claim the power company used "underhand tactics" to get the plans passed by Selby District Council.

The campaign group claims details of the project were posted through some letterboxes on Christmas Eve, and residents were told they had until January 6 if they wished to object.

Peter Howdle, 73, of York Road, Riccall, a member of the action group, said members hoped to hold another meeting on January 17 at Escrick Village Institute.

He said: "These turbines would be just over a mile from my house, and it's residents like me who will have to live with the problems, not Powergen."

Mr Clay said: "The World Health Organisation states that any noise above 30 decibels causes disturbances to sleep, but each turbine will create more than twice this level of noise."

Eric Hardy, of Carrs Meadow, Escrick, said: "If these plans get the go-ahead, it would be appalling for this area."

Objectors also claim that at no time was the local community made aware of what was going on.

But a spokesman for E. ON UK, the power company that runs Powergen, denied underhand tactics had been used.

He said: "The planning application was made on November 29.

"We have held meetings with residents and delivered posters in the area.

"Just before Christmas, we updated residents, and this is what they may be referring to."

"I wish they weren't white"

IN 1990, Craven District Council gave the green light to four 25-metre high wind turbine generators at Chelker Reservoir, on the border of the Yorkshire Dales National Park, near Bolton Abbey.

A local farmer, who asked not to be named, said he lived within a third of a mile of one of the turbines, but it caused little disruption to his life. "They make a noise sometimes," he admitted. "But most of the time you don't hear them. There's no pollution - they don't swallow any oil. But I wish they could be painted green instead of white."

Updated: 10:20 Wednesday, January 05, 2005