CAMPAIGNERS against a Heysham to M6 Northern link road are celebrating this week despite the fact that the plan has been given the nod.

Residents from across Lancaster and Morecambe turned up to see Lancaster city councillors vote for the northern route by a five votes majority at a planning meeting on Monday.

It means the green light has been given for Lancashire County Council to go ahead and get things into place to build the road.

But residents opposed to the monster' blueprint say this is far from the final word.

They believe that with mounting opposition to the link road the Secretary of State will call it in' for a public inquiry and people will get a real chance to be heard.

David Gate, of Transport Solutions for Lancaster and Morecambe, told the Citizen after the meeting: "It is a great boost for us that seven councillors voted against the northern route, which is more than we expected. Last time city councillors voted they were unanimous in favour of the road, so it seems people are finally seeing that the northern route is nonsense."

"It seems people are finally seeing that the northern route is nonsense" : David Gate

He says residents are now very optimistic' because, even though the vote was lost, more people are standing up against the link.

And Mandy Kendall, of Torrisholme, agrees. She told the Citizen: "I was impressed by the outcome because I had expected it to be a total whitewash. Now we will get a public inquiry because of the local concern."

She says the group believes that people are now finally seeing through the county council's North ot nothing' bluster.

But Alan Biddulph, of the love the link campaign says his group is also pleased at the outcome.

"Hopefully we will get a road which helps Heysham and Morecambe and will be great for the area because it will take away the lorries which are the main cause of the problem," he says.