VILLAGERS are preparing for a fight to stop holiday chalets being built on a field in Leigh Sinton.

They believe the 20 chalets will be used as a gipsy site.

A proposal to build the chalets, plus a warden's office and accommodation, on land off Lower Howsell Road was received by Malvern Hills District Council last month.

"The village is up in arms about it," said one resident who asked not to be named for fear of retaliation.

"We are going to fight it very hard."

"This is not the right place to build a holiday site," said another.

"There are no facilities for people on holiday and their children, it would make more sense to build it nearer Malvern," he said.

The villagers are concerned the entrance to the site will be built on a narrow stretch of road and will add more traffic to a busy junction.

Some are also worried that if approval is given it will clear the way for more developments which will cause the village to sprawl and ruin views of the Malvern Hills.

However, the villagers' main concern is that the site will be used as a gipsy camp. They say the application resembles an earlier application to make the field a permanent gipsy site.

"Gipsies occupied the site without permission for three months when the last application was made," said one villager.

"They left behind all kinds of rubbish. They even left a dead dog."

"We have not seen any 'for sale' signs up so it must be the same man who owned the field who has put in this application," said another.

A company called Triangular Land Partnership has made the current application, whereas the first was made eight years ago by Transit UK.

The last application was rejected but Transit UK appealed twice.

At the last appeal, in February 1994, the villagers of Leigh Sinton raised money to hire their own barrister to argue their case.

Brian Glasson, area planning officer for the northern area of Malvern Hills District Council said he had received 10 letters against the proposal.

"We must accept the application as it stands," he said.

He said the application would probably be discussed in February at the earliest.