A PETITION signed by more than 3,000 residents with a message not to develop the last green site in Guisborough is on its way to Redcar and Cleveland Council.

The borough council wants to move its headquarters to the market town, but if it relocates to Chapel Beck, it plans to develop a greenfield site for a car park.

Residents formed a protest group and gathered a petition with the support of the town council. On Wednesday, more than 200 turned up at the site to see protestors' spokesman Stuart Burns hand the petition to borough councillor Anne Franklin.

Residents were urged to attend a meeting at Sunnyfield House at 7pm on Monday when Dr Joan Rees, the council's director of the economy and the environment, will speak.

Coun Franklin said: "This will show the borough council the people of Guisborough are determined to keep the only bit of green we have left in the centre of town."

Council leader David Walsh, who will be at Monday's meeting, said: "I will be facing the people who appear to be opposed to bringing the council to Guisborough.

"Instead of venting their anger on the council, they should really be putting their views to the people who own the brownfield derelict foundry site where we want to put our offices.

"They are chasing the wrong targets. We have got to develop in the interests of the town," he added.

Coun Keith Pudney told a meeting of the town council last week that the borough council was only looking at the Chapel Beck site as an alternative to the preferred site at the old foundry at Blackett Hutton.

He said the council was negotiating with the foundry owner.