CAR salesman Melvin Upton fears the future of his three year-old business hangs in the balance with a council s controversial plans for a travellers site to open on adjoining land. Mr Upton s Compact Car Corner is next to a two-acre site in Wisbech Road,

CAR salesman Melvin Upton fears the future of his three year-old business hangs in the balance with a council's controversial plans for a travellers' site to open on adjoining land.

Mr Upton's Compact Car Corner is next to a two-acre site in Wisbech Road, Long Sutton, which South Holland District Council is interested in acquiring for travellers.

And, according to Mr Upton, the council is now interested in buying a one-acre parcel of land between his property and the proposed area, to make the site even bigger.

"I accept that they have to go somewhere, but only one-and-a-half miles down the road is a site which has not been used for more than 20 years that the council own," he said. "Why don't they put them there?"

Mr Upton said his car sales business was valued at £425,000 last year but questioned its worth next to a travellers' site.

He is also concerned about security at his premises and said he was burgled nine times in five weeks last year and was forced to spend £5,000 on extra security.

In Sutton Bridge, opposition to another site is mounting and local resident Ian Cashmore has gathered 500 signatures on a petition.

"The locations the council has identified are not suitable," he said.

Where sites could be located will be debated next Thursday at a full meeting of South Holland District Council in Spalding.

The council, anticipating its best attended meeting for years, expects to fill the chamber and an adjoining room, and will broadcast the debate on its website.

South Holland Council chief executive Terry Huggins said: "At the last meeting members took the decision to hold this meeting to enable them to examine the process used for selection of the sites and to recommend any amendments to the process.