Campaigners are celebrating a decision to scrap plans to build a travellers’ site near Oswestry and today called for the land to be used to house a £6 million leisure and tourism complex instead.

More than 1,000 people signed a petition objecting to a move to build the camp on land just off the A5 at Halton.

The protesters said the land would be better used to house the proposed Dragon Tower project which would create up to 50 jobs and would include a museum, viewing tower and restaurant.

Wrexham Council’s full council ditched the travellers’ site proposal for Halton at a crunch meeting on Wednesday.

Councillors agreed that a travellers’ site at Ruthin Road in Wrexham should instead be extended.

The decision will go out to public consultation but campaigners said today they hoped that would be the last they would hear about travellers’ sites at Halton.

Campaigner Ingrid Davies, who led the fight against the site, said she was now calling on the council to support plans to build the Dragon Tower on the land.

Mrs Davies said: “We are delighted that the council has made the decision.

“That land is so valuable for the area’s economic development and we already have a proposal for its future use which would bring a huge boost to the area.

“The Dragon Tower plan is a much better use of the land and hopefully an application for it will be made in June. I am hoping the council will give it planning approval.”