Marske and New Marske district councillors said this week that residents would fight any plans to put a business park near their homes.

The dispute arose at a meeting of the full Redcar and Cleveland council.

Conservative group leader, Coun Vera Moody, moved that the council should accept recommendations of a panel report on the Tees Valley structure plan regarding industrial development in Redcar/Marske and New Marske.

This specifies that before a business park in that area is considered, the council should look at brownfield sites and that the Kirkleatham business park should be at least 75pc occupied.

Coun Moody, who represents New Marske, said: "We do not need more employment. We are a sadly migrating population."

East Cleveland was the area they should be looking at, she said.

Coun John Robinson, for Saltburn, said: "People deserve to have work on their doorstep, not at Marske."

Coun David Walsh, leader, said the structure plan had already been agreed by the joint strategy unit, but added: "We will be looking at East Cleveland."

Coun Joyce Benbow said: "The young people of East Cleveland need jobs to go to when they leave school. We need a business park, but in the right place, not where there are already plenty of jobs."

Marske's Coun Ken Seymour said villagers there would fight such a development. "They fought the closure of Mount Pleasant old people's home," he said. "They have said 'no' to this. They don't want an industrial estate."

Skelton member, Coun Dave McLuckie, said he would welcome another industrial estate in his area, "but not just because other people don't want it in their area."

Coun Moody insisted: "We need more development in East Cleveland and we don't want to see further development in Marske and New Marske."

Coun Walsh moved an amendment to go with the original proposal and this was agreed