Nuon UK Ltd has applied for planning permission to build 11 wind turbines on land between Swinford and Walcote.

The firm was already granted permission to put a 70-metre data-gathering mast at the site for 12 months last year.

However, because a decision is now not expected on the application until late January or early February next year, Nuon applied to keep its meteorological mast at the site for longer.

Rob Fellows, spokesman for Nuon UK, said: “The initial application was for a year but that permission expired this month.

“Because the wind turbines application has taken longer than expected to resolve, we wanted the equipment to remain at the site so we could continue gathering data. We need as much information as possible so it makes sense for us to keep the equipment at the site.”

Councillors on Harborough District Council’s planning committee considered the application at their meeting on Tuesday.

They gave permission for the mast to remain at the site until December 17 next year when it shall be removed and the land, at Lambcote Hill Farm in Swinford Road, should be returned to agricultural use.

The renewal application attracted 18 letters of protest from people living near the site or opposed to the plans.

Many of these said the proposal was visually intrusive while others questioned the need to continue gathering data at the site.

Swinford Parish Council also objected to the plans, saying that if the results so far had been inconclusive, the whole scheme should be in doubt.