Mid Sussex villagers turned out in force last night to protest about plans for a landfill site.

More than 200 people from around Haywards Heath packed the town's Clair Hall to voice opposition to the proposed tip at Freshfield Lane Brickworks, near Horsted Keynes.

West Sussex county councillors were told the scheme, first mooted in 2001, was harming house prices.

Dr Bernard Wagenman, who lives near Freshfield Lane, said: "This has been hanging over our heads for two years. It's threatening to stop us moving or selling our homes. It's an infringement of our civil liberties and condemning our community."

Other residents raised concerns about safety on country roads near the site, in an area of outstanding natural beauty.

Gill Maynard, a member of the Freshfield Action Group (FAG), said: "Access to the site is very poor. There are narrow roads where in some places two lorries are unable to pass each other."

One of the fears if the site goes ahead concerns lorries not sticking to the designated routes in and out of the site.

Chris Cousins, a West Sussex councillor, said: "At the end of the day there is no such thing as a perfect site.

"We try to balance the advantages over the disadvantages."

He said three sites were being considered for landfill tips in West Sussex. As well as Freshfield, there is a claypit near Graylands, Warnham, and a site at Laybrook Brickworks, Thakeham.

Pat Webster, a Mid Sussex District councillor who represents Horsted Keynes, said the site was completely unsuitable.

She said a farmer in the same road who recently applied to convert his farm into a cheese-making business was told he could only get permission if he used vans and not lorries because the lanes were too narrow. Her comments were met with cheers from the audience.

The proposed site has been one of the most controversial in the county council's Waste Local Plan.

The council received 1,408 letters of objection when it first announced it in 2001.

Mr Cousins said although the county council could not ignore such a large number of objections, it had not ruled out using the site.

He said: "We do have sympathy with people in the area. But at this stage the advantages of the site outweigh the disadvantages."

Barley MacGrath, who lives in Horsted Keynes, said: "It seems to me our objections two years ago were ignored. The site is still listed as a proposed landfill area in the Waste Local Plan. What assurance do we have our objections will be taken notice of this time?"