North Norfolk District Council (NNDC) has asked supporters of a community wind turbine for North Walsham to withdraw their planning application because of objections from the MoD, Norwich Airport and the National Air Traffic Services.

Senior planning officer Geoff Lyon made the unexpected announcement at the end of a packed 90-minute public meeting last night to discuss Unity Wind Ltd's application for a community turbine, up to 120m tall, on land east of Cromer Road.

Mr Lyon said the three bodies, which are among a number of consultees on the application, had concerns about air safety and interference with the RAF radar at Trimingham. NNDC would not therefore be able to recommend approval of the plan and had asked Unity Wind to resubmit it, if the problems were resolved.

Speaking straight after the meeting, Hetty Selwyn, a director of Unity Wind, said they would seek a meeting with NNDC to find a way forward and did not accept that the MoD's objections were insurmountable since government policy supported wind power.

About 200 people attended the sometimes-heated meeting, called by North Walsham Town Council to hear arguments for and against the scheme which the town council's planning committee is due to discuss at 6.15pm on Tuesday, May 29.