PLANS for a controversial wind turbine outside a Greenock factory have been refused, the Tele can reveal.

Bosses at Texas Instruments wanted to build a 77.8 metre tall turbine — over 250ft — outside the company’s Larkfield Industrial Estate HQ.

They said it would help to ‘significantly increase’ the amount of greener electricity the site uses, and reduce costs.

But the application attracted fierce opposition from protesters.

Now planning officials have rejected the bid under delegated powers.

They cited several reasons for the decision.

Their report stated: “A combination of height, scale, proximity to housing, Gourock Golf Club and hilltop location within the built-up area of Inverclyde, determine that the 77.8m to blade tip wind turbine forms an unexpected and dominant feature over a range of distances, adversely affecting a large population and is, thus, contrary to criteria of the local development plan policy.” Ronnie Gormley, pictured, chairman of Inverclyde Wind Turbine Monitoring Group, today welcomed the decision after leading a campaign against the development.

He told the Tele: “I’m absolutely delighted that the planning officials have taken on board the concerns that I have been making to them and the objections made to them.

“They have appreciated the intrusion that this proposal would make on the landscape due to the size and scale of it and how grossly intrusive it would be, not just from a visual amenity point of view but also from a general point of view.

“So I’m delighted that in the first instance, the planners have done the sensible thing.” It is not yet clear if Texas Instruments will appeal the decision or not.

But Mr Gormley says he’ll be ready to fight them if they do.

He added: “If they appeal to the Local Review Body we can only hope that the councillors on the board would listen to the concerns expressed by the planning authority.” No comment was available from Texas Instruments.