RESIDENTS on a Barnard Castle estate have threatened to erect barricades and chain themselves to bulldozers to stop a waste transfer and recycling plant being built on their doorsteps.

People living at Stainton Grove are furious that they were not consulted by Teesdale District Council or Durham County Council about the application by Premier Waste Management.

They say the proposed site is too close to their community centre and homes and fear more heavy traffic could be dangerous to children.

They are also concerned that an increase in the amount of waste at the site could lead to an infestation of rats.

Stainton Grove was chosen by the county council from seven possible sites in Teesdale and approved in principle by the district council earlier this year.

About 20 residents, many with young children, crowded into the district council chamber for a meeting of the development control south committee on Wednesday.

A petition with 170 signatures has also been raised from the 155 homes at Stainton Grove.

A further petition, signed by children on the estate, said: "We have enough rats without any more moving in. We don't want to live in a dump so please don't make us."

Coun Robin Simpson, chairman of the development committee and ward member for Stainton Grove, accused the county council of letting down the residents.

He said: "There has not been any consultation with the people of Stainton Grove, which was promised by the county council."

Coun Newton Wood told the meeting that he could not accept planning officer Ken Hughes' recommendation to approve the application.

To loud applause from the public he said: "Someone has broken a promise here. How can we be a caring council if we are not going to talk to our residents when we have promised them that we would?

"Until the residents have had a chance to have their say, I don't think we can impose this on them."

Coun Simpson replied that the district council was not in a position to impose anything, as the county council was the planning authority in this case.

Coun William Salvin said the application lacked sufficient information and moved that a site visit be held before making a decision.

This was seconded by Coun Richard Betton, who said: "We need a site visit not just to Stainton Grove but to the other sites that were originally considered."

The motion for a site visit was carried by 11 votes to one.

After the meeting, Tony Cooke, 62, of The Oval, Stainton Grove, spoke on behalf of the residents.

He said people felt Stainton Grove was a completely inappropriate site.

He also accused both councils of deliberately keeping residents in the dark over the plans.

He said: "We've been hoodwinked all the way along the line and it's been told to us time and time again that this is a done deal.

"It's clear from the number of people at the meeting this morning, and the number of signatures on the petition, how strongly the people of Stainton Grove feel about this."

He said feelings were running so high that some residents had vowed to barricade the entrance to the site and chain themselves to bulldozers if necessary.

Mr Cooke, who has lived at Stainton Grove for 21 years, said an existing waste site at Cragwood, near Cockfield, was much more suitable for such a plant