ORGANISERS of a public meeting in Marske have been criticised for misleading the public with innacurate claims by the leader of the local authority.

A leaflet advertising a public meeting in the town, called by the Green Party and the Council for the Protection for Rural England, claims that Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council wants a greenfield site between Marske, New Marske and Redcar to be turned into a business park.

The leaflet says: "After a long inquiry, a Government panel recommended against any more development in the open fields between Marske, New Marske and Redcar.

"Four months later, the council decided that some of it is just the place for a business park."

But council leader David Walsh said: "We owe it to our children now at school to see that there are local work and career opportunities in the future.

"I feel inaccurate and spurious claims from the Green Party, that fields near New Marske have already been allocated, damage that duty we owe to the future."

Peter Goodwin, of the Teesside Green Party, said: "If they had already allocated it, we would not be protesting now because it would be too late.

"The council has used all sorts of devices and means to get this back into the structure plan and we do think that local people should have the opportunity to discuss it."

The meeting takes place tonight at the Cheshire Home, in Marske, at 7.30pm.