PEOPLE in Crumlin say they will fight any appeal that may be lodged over a controversial plan for an historic site which was rejected by councillors this week.

Residents have been fighting plans for an aggregate store on the site of the old Navigation colliery for several months - organising two petitions and staging a protest at the site.

They were delighted this week when Caerphilly council's planning committee threw out the application.

Now they say they will fight any appeal which may be brought by the applicants, La-farge Aggregates Limited, of Newbridge.

The proposal would have seen around 400 tonnes of stone delivered to the site by road from the Hafod Fach quarry daily - which would then be loaded and moved twice a week on to trains at the Navigation colliery site.

Residents protested on the grounds that the scheme would have an adverse impact on tourism and increase traffic, dust and noise levels in the area.

Angela Millard, of the action group, said yesterday: "We don't know if they are going to appeal yet, but if they do, then we will continue to fight it. We don't want this here - we want to make Crumlin a better place to live."

She added that a public meeting has been arranged at the rugby club on Tuesday, at 7pm, to talk about getting funding to improve the community.

Crumlin Councillor Keith Lloyd added: "Hopefully we put forward enough arguments to deter them from putting in an appeal."

But he added that if it did happen, then the action group would be ready.

Lafarge Aggregates said they did not want to comment. A spokesman for Caerphilly council said the applicants now have 12 months in which to lodge an appeal.