MORE than 1,300 residents in a York village have called on city leaders to abandon plans for a travellers’ site near their homes.

A petition claiming the potential 15-pitch site at Common Lane and Hassacarr Lane, in Dunnington, would have a “major impact” on residents and businesses and harm the city’s green belt was handed in at a full meeting of City of York Council by the parish council.

The site is one of several proposed under the authority’s draft Local Plan development blueprint, due to the council having to provide a supply of travellers’ accommodation. The petition was signed by 1,323 people.

Parish council spokesman Dennis Martin told the meeting: “The site is next to a conservation area, housing, a nature reserve and land regarded as green belt, and is also an entrance to the sport club which is a focus for the village.

“This proposal will create pressure for housing approval on land which would otherwise not get that approval.”

Another petition, signed by 1,036 people, calling for plans for a 20-pitch travellers’ site on Malton Road to be dropped, was also submitted at the meeting, with opponents of the proposals saying it was “hard to conceive of a more inappropriate location”.