IT’S A nightmare before Christmas for hundreds of residents fighting plans for a permanent traveller site by Baxenden Chemicals with no decision due until the end of the year.

The proposals, touted by Rossendale Council, were met with fury when they were announced earlier this year, with scores of angry residents meeting at the town’s cricket club to oppose them.

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A consultation ended on Monday, and council workers are now in the process of considering the results before making a decision with a decision expected at the end of December.

Hyndburn MP Graham Jones has spoken against the plans, and said he has been inundated with letters from residents also opposed to the site.

He added: “There is already a great deal of provision in the area for travellers, and this application will come at the expense of greenfield land in a town which is already very built up.

“Further to this point, while other local authorities may need to increase their provision for travellers, proposing this site in an Accrington postcode, on the border of Hyndburn, defeats the object of Rossendale’s duty to provide traveller sites.

“Hyndburn already has significant provision, and another site effectively as a satellite of it is not the spirit of the Housing Act, which is clearly intended to incentivise the geographical distribution of traveller sites.”

Five traveller families would be welcomed on a permanent basis at the site.

Caravans should be located at the far end of the site rather than close to housing, according to the proposals.

“It is very well located for the primary road network and close to local services and utilities,” council papers read.

John Lord from Baxenden Chemicals said the company owned the land being considered for the site, and added: “The site is better suited to future employment use rather than a Traveller site.”