SUTTON residents are uniting in a bid to combat a planning proposal for a permanent travellers caravan site in Hoghton Road right next to their homes.

A residents meeting was held last week at St Helens Town's ground in Hoghton Road which around 140 people attended following news that St Helens Council had received a planning application to install six caravans on a large garden at 81 Hoghton Road.

Sutton and Bold Liberal Democrat councillors, Stef Topping and Julie Jones helped organise the meeting and Stef told the Star: "We are sick and tired of Sutton being chosen for these sites. We already have a caravan site for gipsies at Sutton Moss which is under-used and now these people want to set up another one."

She added: "I believe that when planning permission was first granted to the current owner, it was with the intention of installing houses on the land. "However, there have been a couple of caravans on the site since then which, we were informed, would be removed when the houses were built. But the houses have still not been built and now this new application has been submitted for a caravan site there instead.

"If this application is granted it would send shockwaves throughout the town. It means travellers could purchase any cheap houses with large pieces of land, ignore all the residents who live nearby and put caravans on the site."

Julie added: "We have collected over 100 written objections and all Lib Dem councillors oppose this application. We feel that it's about time residents rights came first and St Helens Council make a strong stand against this and any other similar application."

The council have not set a committee date for consideration of the application yet and residents should hand any objection letters in to the council planning department, no later that today (June 22).