Councillors were at loggerheads last night over proposals to create three traveller sites in Burnley.

Burnley Council has put forward locations for possible permanent traveller sites in Marlborough Street, Lawrence Avenue and Heald Road, in a bid to tackle unauthorised encampments and meet government targets.

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Campaigners, led by Cog Lane resident Steve Lupton, yesterday attended a full council meeting and presented a petition against the plan, carrying more than 1,400 signatures.

The petition was entitled: “To stop all development plans with regard to building three permanent traveller sites in the borough of Burnley.”

But council leader Mark Townsend told the chamber the council was effectively being forced to include the sites in its Local Plan, which he said was vital for the future success of the borough.

He added: “Let me be absolutely clear.

“I and this Labour group are as frustrated as any of the 1,400 residents who have signed the petition.

“If the government guidelines were not forcing us down this path there would be no gypsy and traveller sites under discussion at all.”

He claimed the need to include suggested sites in the plan was due to failures under the previous Liberal Democrat leadership.

However, ex-Lib Dem council leader and current MP for Burnley, Gordon Birtwistle, accused him of ‘playing politics’ and insisted the council did not need to include the sites, as a study had found there was ‘no evidence of significant need’.

Coun Townsend proposed a motion to proceed with the plan, and continue the public consultation over the suggested sites, but Coun Birtwistle proposed an amendment that was still being considered as the Lancashire Telegraph went to press.

The Labour-led council has previously warned that Communities Secretary Eric Pickles and the Planning Inspectorate could penalise the authority if it ditched the plans.