HUNDREDS of people attended a meeting called to oppose plans for a gipsy site.

It was standing room only as residents, some carrying “No” banners, joined forces with community leaders at a packed public meeting to fight plans for a five-caravan gipsy site on land off Magazine Lane, Ewloe.

An action group set up to keep the land for the use of residents has demanded that the application is rejected.

Organisers were stunned by the amount of support the campaign attracted, with residents attending from Ewloe, Northop Hall and across Deeside.

County councillor Dave Mackie represents the ward where the development is planned and said he wants the land to remain as it is.

He said: “There was a much wider range of support than we were expecting.

People came from all over the place saying they use it.

“There were more people than we expected. They seemed to keep coming.

“The community as a whole has said they do not want a development.

“It is green barrier land; it would not matter what the development was. That was the point people were making.

“People said they take their children there to learn to ride their bikes.

“The hope is that this will be taken on board.

“We hope there will be a lot of letters of objection to the planning authority.

“This area should be kept as it is, that is the whole point of green barrier land.”

The application for the site on Ewloe Barn Wood, has been submitted by Martin Rooney with Green Planning Solutions LLP acting as agents.

Matthew Green from the firm said: “Our view is that the planning site is in line with policy and should be determined on that basis.”

A spokesman for the Ewloe Green Action Group said: “There were 200 people. It was a packed meeting. The feeling was to oppose it.

“The site is a green barrier stretch of land. There have been lots of objections to it and we hope democracy works.”

Members of the action group have vowed to attend the planning meeting when the application is discussed.