Members of the authority's policy and resources committee voted on Tuesday night to spend £30,000 to employ experts to assess all wind farm applications.

It's hoped they will help councillors form a more structured approach to applications, setting out a number of different criteria developers must meet when submitting bids.

"We will assess future applications on a case-by-case basis. If any applications are turned down, we need to consult experts to challenge applicants should they go to appeal," said SDC leader Coun Mark Crane.

He added: "We felt it was important we formed a policy that sets out a framework for wind farm bids.

"We've currently got eight or nine applications coming in, and I don't think we want to have our whole skyline decimated with turbines."

News of the move came as concerns grow about the number of wind farms bids proposed for the district.

Campaigners are actively fighting Prowind applications for 14 wind turbines between West Haddlesey and Birkin (Wood Lane site) and seven near Hambleton (Bishop Wood site).

Residents have also blasted proposals for nine 125-metre turbines on land between Burton Salmon and Birkin, known as the Byram plan, and five proposed on land between Cliffe and Barlow, known as Cleek Hall.

Anti-wind farm campaigner Howard Ferguson flew over the proposed sites in a helicopter on Monday, charting a course at turbine height to reflect how they would dominate the skyline.

The publicity stunt was organised by the stopwoodlane and stopbyramwindfarm action groups. Further pictures can be found on the stopwoodlanewindfarm website.

Current district wind farm applications, either proposed, submitted or approved, include: Wood Lane (14 turbines), Bishop Wood (seven), Byram (seven), Rusholme (12), Cleek Hall (five), Aire and Calder (15), Loftsome Bridge (two).