A "bogus" planning application has been slammed by town councillors.

A proposed restoration scheme at Newlands Farm hoped to level land previously used for grazing by using building waste such as broken bricks and materials.

The land would then be farmed to grow crops in five years, according to the applicant, Steve Williamson.

Ulverston Town Council voted unanimously to refuse the plan. Councillor Colin Pickthall, who proposed the application be refused, said: "They say this is all about restoring a piece of land so it can grow crops. That wouldn't happen for another five years.

"What this application is about is to open a tip on the land. We can't even be sure the ostensible reason for it will actually happen.

“By that time someone would have made a fortune because to have a tip on your land is a goldmine.

“Whoever it is would probably be living in the Caribbean by then. This is a bogus application. This is not what it says it is about."

Cllr Pickthall also criticised the application for misleading councillors, after it was initially approved in February.

He said: "I am very cynical about it now. I was frankly horrified by the number of contradictions in the application. All of these problems add up to serious objections.

"Why broken bricks and building materials would be taken away from building sites to go to farmland and not under new houses or roads is mad."

In 15 minutes designated for public participation, four nearby residents spoke against the proposal, raising concerns about the impact of the increased traffic on the A590.

Eleanor Lancaster, who lives at and owns the house on Newland Farm, led the protests, saying: “We were worried about the level of HGVs on a single lane and the impact on our quality of life and kid's safety.

"The lane is a single track lane and there is not a lot of room. There are no passing points.

“The dust that will be created is going to be horrific. It comes flying across and you couldn't hang your washing out.”

Tim Evans spoke on behalf of the applicant at the meeting. He said: "I want to put the matter straight. There has been lots of misconception.

"The point of this is to produce up to 30 per cent of our winter feed. The land is grazed as a last resort.

"In terms of the traffic, this application is for 13 daily deliveries and no more."

The town council has submitted a notice of objection to Cumbria County Council, which will ultimately decide the outcome.

The objection also included a request that the council's planning committee request a site visit before making a decision.