A FULL-scale revolt is taking place in Guisborough over plans to use green space as an office car park.

Furious residents say they will seek a judicial review if Redcar and Cleveland council goes ahead with a scheme to develop an old depot site for one of its own departments.

Hundreds gathered at the beckside park in Rectory Lane on Wednesday to see a petition of more than 2,000 signatures handed over to ward Coun Anne Franklin. She was to submit it to the council's legal department yesterday.

Campaigners were also told about a public meeting on Monday to discuss legal action. This follows a packed meeting on Saturday night, called at a day's notice, which gave overwhelming support to a fight on the issue.

Coun Franklin said: "The people want the council offices to come here to bring more trade and jobs. But they don't want the loss of so much green space. If we don't stand up for ourselves and say enough is enough, we have given up. We can't do that or what will be the next to go?"

The campaign leader is Mr Stuart Burns, who attended a meeting of Guisborough Town Council on Thursday of last week to plead for support.

On Wednesday, the chairman, Coun Brian Whiteley, said the council backed the action 100pc. "There are plenty of other options for car parking," he said, as other town councillors joined him at the protest.

Also adding her voice to the protest is seven-year-old Eleanor Hewson, who said the car park would be on the site of bulbs that children had just planted. A pupil at Northgate primary school, she said: "They should leave this park alone."

Protesters are battling against a deadline which expires on Tuesday. This is the time allowed for negotiations the council has been having to secure the old Blackett Hutton foundry site for the scheme.

As talks dragged on over two years, the council earmarked the old depot as a possible alternative.

Redcar and Cleveland council leader, Coun David Walsh, said the depot site was a second choice.

"It is all down to coming to agreement on the foundry site," he said, "but the owner is a hard bargainer and we can't just write out cheques to him.

"The government wants value for money in all we do."

Tory group leader, Coun Barbara Harpham, said the green space should stay. "People are right to protest, and they have to be listened to. But that is where the council falls down," she said.

Mr Burns said: "The people of Guisborough have not been made fully aware of how much land is going to be taken over. It is a sizeable chunk.

It is one of the few green belts we have, the lungs of the town."

Coun Mary Kirkpatrick said even the town council had not been fully consulted. "The way we have been treated over this is an insult," she said.

Mr Burns said Monday's meeting would assess the campaign's progress.

"But it looks as if we will be going for a judicial review," he said, adding there could also be calls for a public inquiry.

Redcar and Cleveland's director of economy and environment, Dr Joan Rees, has agreed to attend, and foundry owner, Mr William Cook, has been invited. The meeting is at at Sunnyfield House at 7pm.

"Guisborough is of one voice on this," said Mr Burns. "Support is rock solid.