Villagers are furious about plans to site a temporary gipsy camp only yards from their homes on the outskirts of York.

Livid Ryedale MP John Greenway today called on City of York Council to abandon the "totally unacceptable" proposal for a travellers' site in Osbaldwick.

The council wants to move 12 families to a field at the corner of Metcalfe Lane and Osbaldwick Village when it upgrades the permanent site at nearby Outgang Lane later this year.

But outraged villagers plan to raise a protest petition and hold a public meeting.

Ian Hardcastle, who lives opposite the field, said: "Imagine what this site will look like over a period of time.

"It is going to be an open invitation to gipsies to move on to the land and the traffic situation will be horrendous."

Osbaldwick Parish Council chairman, Councillor Ray Benton, said: "I think it's a deplorable suggestion to think of putting this opposite houses, next to the scout hut, village hall and pub, near a bad bend in the road. It's abominable."

Council officials said today the Outgang Lane site was in urgent need of improvements, including resurfacing and larger kitchen and bathroom facilities.

Lesley Healey, the council's head of advice and housing assessment, said: "The temporary site is only for the duration of the work and only for people on the Outgang site. We have to move them (the gipsies) somewhere and their children are at school in Osbaldwick, some of them have lived on the site since it was built, so consider themselves as residing in Osbaldwick."

Access would be tightly controlled and the site managed very closely. "If anyone trespasses on the site we will evict them immediately." Work is expected to start in July and finish by the end of November.

But resident Bill Hall said that Osbaldwick feelings against the site were strengthening by the day: "There is a real furore over this at the moment. Recently a planning application was rejected on the grounds it would be a village eyesore. Well I hardly think sticking 12 caravans slap bang in the middle of us is an enhancement, is it?"

Frank Wilson, whose home is opposite the proposed entrance to the site added: "Once those gates are open anybody, but anybody, is going to be able to come on to the site."

An irate Mr Greenway said he was writing to York council today to press for a different site to be found. He said: "It's right opposite six houses and that is totally unacceptable. And to say that this is for six months is nave in the extreme.

"All people know that when gipsies occupy a certain bit of land, it becomes impossible to get rid of them. I was livid when I heard about it."

The travellers themselves said the upgrade was badly needed and they wanted to remain in the area. "Something has to be done," said Shirley Smith. "First the problem was the flooding but now it's the rats. You can't move for them. They are in the bins and they get into our caravans.

"I thinks it's a good idea to move us to the village as long as we can come back. We don't want to be moved to somewhere like Clifton Moor because we like it here. We have our own community."

Iris Smith added: "Some of our children were born and bred here, we don't want to be moved anywhere else."

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