RESIDENTS of Newport handed in more than 12,000 objections to the city council over proposed Gipsy sites in the city on Friday.

Householders of Ringland and Hartridge handed in two petitions with 10,335 signatures against a proposed residential site for three families on Hartridge Farm Road and a back-up site at Ringland Allotments.

Later in the day people from Coedkernew and Duffryn handed in 2,710 letters and petition signatures against a proposed transit site at Celtic Way, Coedkernew.

Both events at the Civic Centre took place on the last day of the formal consultation process for the revised local development plan, which includes the three sites.

Newport Council is under obligation to find places for gipsy and traveller sites in the city.

Around 60 people turned out to hand in petitions over the Hartridge and Ringland sites with the group, which included city councillors Emma Corten and Martyn Kellaway, gathering at Newport Civic Centre at around noon.

Cllr Corten, of Ringland ward, said: “This is the wrong site for many reasons such as it being prone to flooding, when built it will be too exposed and at 43 pitches, with as many as three caravans per pitch, it will be too large.

“For more than 10,300 signatures to be collected is an incredible feat and the Ringland Matters group should really be applauded for their hard work."

Frank Weston of the Ringland Matters group that organised the petition, said: "We now hope that the council will listen to the people and reconsider the issue and identify sites that are more appropriate.”

Around 30 people from Coedkernew and the surrounding area turned out to hand in 1,448 signed letters and 1,262 signatures at around 4pm.

Dale Johnson, vice-chairman of Coedkernew community council, said the proposed site at Coedkernew will put businesses off from coming to the area.

Community Cllr Paul Turner, also on the council, said people in the area did not get enough information about the Celtic Way proposals.

“This is the community coming together,” he said.

Julie Vellucci, head of regeneration and regulatory services at Newport council, accepted the petitions on behalf of the authority.

She said the council's Local Development Plan website is to remain open to accept submissions until 11.59pm on Sunday.