THE Road to Nowhere in Yate will not be turned into a travellers' site, councillors unanimously agreed this week.

The decision follows an unprecedented campaign by Yate residents against an idea to use the land on Yate Common to meet the Government's required number of gypsy sites.

After Local Plan inspector David Fenton recommended that the green space become a permanent and authorised site, hundreds of neighbouring home-owners turned out to a meeting of Yate Town Council to condemn the proposal.

So many people turned out to the meeting in January that the council, for the first time in its history, was forced to hold discussions in the freezing outdoor temperatures.

A petition was signed by more than 1,000 people who wanted to save the common, which has previously been a filming location for hit BBC series Casualty. This week, South Gloucestershire Council rejected Mr Fenton's proposal and agreed to leave the Road to Nowhere as it is.

A report into the Local Plan stated that the site is common land and the Secretary of State would need to give consent before a travellers' site could get the go ahead.

After further investigation, the council says it would be unlikely to get that consent.

However, as a result of Mr Fenton's recommendation the council will carry out an assessment of gypsy and travellers' accommodation needs.

It will investigate doing the study jointly with Bristol City, North Somerset and Bath and North East Somerset Councils and it could result in specific sites for travellers being pin-pointed.

At a full council meeting on Wednesday, the final seal of approval was given to keep any development off the common and residents have celebrated by putting up a sign thanking all the people who fought the recommendation.