The owners of a business centre hope their application for a 45-metre turbine will be looked upon more favourably by Bradford Council after it was criticised by Denholme Town Council.

At the town council meeting developers were accused of “taking the biscuit” with their application for an “inappropriate” turbine.

Owners of Denholme Business Centre on Halifax Road have applied to install the windmill to go with a 1,000-panel solar farm on a neighbouring field, which has already been approved by Bradford planners. But town councillors felt the proposal was a step too far.

“We’ve got a huge solar farm which we passed because it wasn’t intrusive and now we’ve got another application for a windfarm,” said Councillor Marilyn Foster.

“I had no problem with the solar panels, but this would have a huge impact on the lives of Denholme people.”

Denholme mayor Steve Nunn said he had “two areas of grave concern”.

His first was that no images in the application showed the true visual impact of the turbine intended for land above the A629.

“My second is that this would set a precedent and there are no special circumstances for encroaching into Green Belt by placing it on virgin moorland,” Coun Nunn said.

Anti-windfarm campaigner Anthea Orchard told the open meeting that maps used in the application were out of date and did not include some nearby properties.

Coun Shaun Breeze said: “It’s a monstrosity, too big in the wrong area and I just feel it’s inappropriate. It’s taking the biscuit.”

Project advisor Paul Bailey, on behalf of the applicants, agreed the map needed to be updated, but said distances to all properties were contained in the application.

He said: “There are always levels of harm in terms of visual impact with turbines and this has to be balanced against potential benefits.

“The applicant is doing this for genuine reasons. They have brought disused buildings back to life which now house 31 businesses with potential for more.

“They want to make this into a totally green site and electricity produced will be used there or any surplus put into the National Grid and profits re-invested in the centre.”

Centre co-owner Simmy Sekhon said: “We only proceeded with this because of positive comments from councillors who attended our site and so it’s a surprise.”