A YOUTH hostel has been granted permission to construct a wind turbine to provide electricity for the building and help secure its long-term future.

The Langdon Beck Youth Hostel, at Forest-in-Teesdale, will use the turbine and solar panels to generate power to help heat and light the building.

News that members of Teesdale District Council's development control committee had approved the application was met with relief by staff at the hostel yesterday.

There were fears that the hostel may be forced to close following the massive losses suffered by the Youth Hostel Association during the recent foot-and-mouth crisis.

But manager Ewan Boyd said that although the turbine would not be able to provide all the power to run the hostel, it would save money and help to secure its future.

He said: "It is great news, because it has not been especially easy getting the go-ahead from the local authority to get permission to put up a turbine, and there are obviously councillors and residents who are opposed to them, but you can't please everyone.

"We were originally given consent last month, but due to some objections from the tenant we have had to put in another application to site the turbine on youth hostel land.

"Moreover, it will be a large part of our environmental educational centre at the hostel, which is a big part of the hostel and will play a vital role in our future."

The youth hostel will have to revoke the consent it was given in August before it can proceed with putting up the 8.25-metre turbine at a cost of £30,000.

A disagreement between the youth hostel and the tenant of the site originally planned for the turbine forced Mr Boyd to submit a new application, which was approved at a meeting yesterday.

But some members of the development control committee said they were opposed to putting up turbines in rural areas.

Councillor Ian Galletley said: "There is an eccentric obsession with bringing these things into the dale.

"I oppose this fully. I don't think the future of the youth hostel depends on this wind turbine - it is ugly and unnecessary."