Residents have launched an action group to fight plans for a travellers' site on land which was at the centre of a bitter legal battle for six years.

South Gloucestershire Council has put in a planning application for five pitches at Homefield, Hall End Lane, Wickwar.

Each pitch would have room for a static caravan, touring caravan and a 'day room'.

Ironically, the council has just spent six years and thousands of pounds fighting a legal battle to get the land owner to remove his own caravan from the site.

Action group member Jan Averis, whose home is about 500 yards from the proposed travellers' site said: "The owners left the site on July 14 and four days later, this application by the council was submitted.

"It is one of the sites chosen as potential travellers' sites across South Gloucestershire.

"There have been 200 objections to it. The site is in the middle of the countryside with a single track road leading to it, no lighting, no bus link, no water or electricity."

Retired builder Terry Cornock, 68, and his wife Alison, 65, live in the house nearest the proposed site.

Mr Cornock said: "It has taken six years for South Gloucester Council to get the owner to remove his caravans from the site. I want to know at whose instigation the site was put forward as a travellers' site.

"If it is the council, it is total hypocrisy after spending council tax payers' money and planning enforcement officers' time over six years getting the Morgans' caravans removed and then to turn round and try to get their own travellers' site approved."

John Murray, 71, from Rangeworthy said: "The village will not prosper in any way from a travellers' site – it would be detrimental."

Diane Smith, 68, who lives within sight of the land, said: "Hall End Lane is so narrow. There would be a lot of extra traffic. This is an agricultural site. Two government inspectors have said it should remain that way."

In 1994, Richard Spence of the Avon Archeology Unit and his team uncovered a Roman settlement in the area and part of a Roman road goes through the proposed travellers' site.

Christopher Jones, also of Rangeworthy, said: "I object because farmers are losing their livelihoods all the time and this should stay as agricultural land."

The second of a series of exhibitions on 17 possible sites across the district was being held today at Chipping Sodbury Town Hall between 10am and 2.30pm.

South Gloucestershire Council has been told it has to increase the number of pitches for travellers by 2011 to prevent the Government deciding itself where they should go.

The proposals have led to complaints from people who are opposed to accommodating some of the pitches in their communities.