Campaigners who are trying to topple plans for a huge new wind farm which they say would devastate the landscape have won the backing of planning chiefs.

The prospect of six towering turbines almost as high as Britain's tallest cathedral appearing in the Dorset countryside prompted Salisbury councillors to vote against the scheme.

Now their views will be considered by their counterparts in neighbouring North Dorset when they decide whether to approve or reject the wind cluster.

The complex has been earmarked for a remote spot at Silton near Gillingham, 1.6 miles from Dorset's border with Wiltshire and 1.8 miles from the Cranbourne Chase and West Wiltshire area of outstanding natural beauty.

They would clearly be visible from a large swathe of South Wiltshire, which is why Salisbury District Council's comments were sought by the North Dorset planning authority.

Salisbury's western area committee voted unanimously against the scheme after being told by planning officers the turbines would be 120-metres tall.

That's 394ft, 10ft lower than the top of the spire at Salisbury Cathedral, Britain's loftiest church building. The chairman of the western area committee, Josephine Green, said the comparison of the turbines and the cathedral put the sheer visual impact of the scheme into perspective.

She said: "They would only be slightly smaller than the top of the spire at the cathedral.

Six buildings of that height in that location would have an immense visual impact. It is not within the area of outstanding natural beauty but it's very close and would certainly be seen from there."

Mrs Green said the lighting and the fact that the huge arms would be moving would add to its conspicuous and alien appearance in a sensitive area of countryside.

She said councillors conducted a long and thorough debate on the visual impact of the turbines on the Wiltshire segment of the area of outstanding natural beauty and a string of villages such as Zeals, Mere and Stourton.

In his report to councillors, Salisbury senior planning officer Oliver Marigold said: "It is clearly the case that the applicant proposes six tall structures that are alien to and intrusive in the landscape.

"Their animation only draws the viewers' attention to them, making their impact much greater."

The committee's decision delighted the specially formed SOS (Save Our Silton) an action group which is vigorously fighting the scheme.

Green energy company Ecotricity, which is behind the scheme, said it would generate 12 megawatts, enough electricity to supply 8,800 homes, 35 per cent of the households in North Dorset.

If approved, the company said the turbines would help the UK meet its target of achieving 10 per cent of electricity from sustainable sources by 2010.