Angry residents have called for an explanation as to why a planning application still remains in place for a gipsy site in Stoney Haggs Road, despite Scarborough councillors opting for a different site at High Eastfield.

Councillors Lucy Haycock, Helen Mallory and David Jeffels are expected to attend the Seamer Youth Centre meeting at 7pm.

Cllr Haycock said: "There are a lot of people asking questions about the Stoney Haggs site and the fact that it is going through planning.

"Stoney Haggs is not available because it is planted with barley.

"The farmer was not prepared to relinquish his field. It is not able to be acquired.

"People are confused that there are two sites on the table. If the one at Eastfield is available, why is the Stoney Haggs one going to planning?"

"We will try to explain to people what is happening at the moment and advise on the way forward."

Scarborough Council says it had still not been able to confirm the use of the Eastfield site with the owner.

Head of environmental services, Andy Skelton, said: "It was determined that Stoney Haggs would be used as the site. At that point we submitted a planning application. We were then offered the land at High Eastfield which we are also pursuing."

He said if the council was able to negotiate the use of the land at High Eastfield, there was no future guarantee they could use it in years to come, so they were "continuing to pursue the site at Stoney Haggs as a precautionary measure."

Cllr Haycock said she would continue to fight against the proposals for both gipsy sites.

She said: "There is a lot of concern about this and residents will be affected by it. There is already a huge amount of traffic going up and down the A64 with the new park and ride being developed. There is also the effect on the open countryside to consider.

"We should not be destroying our crops in a year when there is a shortage, to accommodate travellers or anybody else."

Cllr Haycock said there was also concern about the effect of added traffic travelling along Stoney Haggs Road.

She said: "The area is already an accident blackspot.

"People from the north of the town use these roads as a short cut to the business parks, and now the park and ride is being built which is making it even busier, so it really doesn't make sense to put a travellers' site in this area."

Local authorities are required by law to produce a gipsy and traveller accommodation strategy and demonstrate that adequate provision is made for them.

A team inspected potential sites last year. Other possible sites were at The Dell in Seamer, Musham Bank and The Mere.

Travellers have gathered for years on a field between the Seamer Carr rubbish tip and Dunslow Road but that has been bought up for development.

Last year they used a site at Musham Bank, but it was flooded after torrential rain and would cost about £795,000 to level and drain the land to make it suitable.

What do you think? You can leave your commments below.