RESIDENTS fear plans to extend and reorganise a holiday camp could leave a village looking like a "caravan site with a few houses tacked on".

Ian Palmer has applied for permission to site ten extra static caravans in the former quarry area at the Robin Hood Caravan Site, in Green Balk Lane, Slingsby, between Malton and Helmsley.

He also wants to change the use of agricultural land to create seven touring caravan pitches in one field and 11 touring caravan pitches in another.

The site has been a caravan park for the past 30 years. It stands on the eastern side of the village and has space for 34 static caravans and an area for tourers in a former quarry.

Under the proposals, the touring caravan pitches would be relocated to two fields. Some pitches would be just 33m from the boundaries of houses.

Residents of Aspen Way, which lies close to an access track used to get to the site, have objected.

A spokeswoman for the Aspen Way Residents' Association said: "The site is already at full capacity and any further development will result in Slingsby being a large caravan site with a few village houses tacked on."

She claimed the tents in the south field would be too close to the busy B1257.

The spokeswoman added: "Children and pets can run out into the road and cause accidents."

But a design and access statement by Mark Southerton, of consultants Edwardson Associates, said the scheme had been developed with local people in mind.

"The level of use will be reduced in the former quarry area and the re-siting of touring caravans out of the quarry will take all caravan towing movements out of the village and away from homes in Aspen Way," he said.

Ryedale District Council planning officer Alan Hunter has recommended that permission be refused, despite accepting that the access arrangements for the site would be improved.

He said: "It is considered that this significant increase in size will not be either sensitive or appropriate to the surrounding area."

The planning committee will discuss the application tomorrow.