CAMPAIGNERS fighting against a £4.5m mushroom factory expansion have collected 160 names on a petition opposing the scheme.

Greyfriars UK, based in Wath, near Ripon, wants to extend its facility despite locals’ concerns.

The company, which has international links, has submitted plans to Harrogate Borough Council for a 96m x 71m building.

The facility will include 12 growing rooms, a packing store, cold store, offices and a staff ancillary block.

The Wath Against Mushrooms (Wam) group, backed by Wath and Newton Conyers Parish Council, has been set up to fight the Tanfield Lane scheme.

The Wam group set up a petition against it and in a week has collected 160 names from a village of 200 people.

It fears the size of the new facility will lead to an increase on the current 114 articulated lorries that head through Wath to Greyfriars each week.

A Wam spokesman said: "This is a real David and Goliath battle – we are taking on a pan-European food conglomerate and we feel their new plans will further blight Wath.

"Industrial-sized operations such as the one proposed should be on dedicated business parks and not built on a greenfield site down narrow country lanes.

"We are not against local business overall but this will be a massive development which will swamp us."

John Smith, Greyfriars chairman, has said that if approved the new plant would create 60 local jobs.

He said: "This project is entirely viable and reasonable. We understand the sensitivity of the locals but this is the right thing to be doing in the right area.

"It’s in an agricultural area and we plan to grow mushrooms on the site.

"It will reduce the traffic by 20 vehicle movements a week as we won’t need mushrooms bringing it will just be compost coming and going."