Birkin resident David White, 53, delivered the 51-signature document to planning officer Rachel Bartlett, as a show of strength against the proposals.

Momentum against the project is building as protesters throughout the district have spent the past few months fighting Prowind proposals for 14 wind turbines between West Haddlesey and Birkin (Wood Lane site) and seven near Hambleton (Bishop Wood site).

Opposition has also grown towards proposed wind farms containing 125-metre turbines on land between Burton Salmon and Birkin, known as the Byram plan, and five on land between Cliffe and Barlow, known as Cleek Hall.

Mr White said: "We don't want the wind farms.

"The petition airs concerns that if proposals by Prowind are approved, people's human rights will be breached under article eight of the European Convention of Human Rights.

"The signatories on this petition are, in the main, Birkin residents or people who have an interest in the village.

"There are less than 50 buildings in Birkin, therefore the vast majority are included on this petition.

"We wish to remind the council it has a legal obligation to protect citizens' human rights."

Plans have already been submitted with SDC for the Wood Lane and Bishop Wood developments, but have yet to be debated by councillors.

An SDC spokesman said: "All correspondence about the proposal will be considered in line with the rules and regulations governing how decisions are made about any planning application of this nature."