Muswellbrook resident Shane Bell handed the majority of the objection letters to Muswellbrook Shire Council late Wednesday afternoon.

The letters are against the proposed rezoning and sale of the Muswellbrook Showground on the grounds of maintaining tradition, traffic concerns and impacts on land value to properties near the site.

Each pro forma letter makes the same arguments as they were prepared by Mr Bell for others to sign.

A further 17 pro forma letters opposing the rezone were submitted by business owners.

Five individual submissions, not connected to the pro forma letters, four opposing and one supporting, were also handed in.

The letters will make up part of a report prepared by the council to be submitted at an extraordinary council meeting on Monday night.

If satisfied with the plans put forward, councillors will vote to have the application go to the Department of Planning and Infrastructure for final approval.

Mr Bell, also an Upper Hunter Show committee member, is strongly against the sale and rezone as he believes the site cannot legally be sold and moved.

“I don’t believe we’ve got the legal rights to sell it,” Mr Bell said.

It was Mr Bell’s understanding that the land was sold on the condition that it remain a showground.

“I’ve asked for the deeds to the showground at the last two [Upper Hunter Show committee] meetings and have been told the solicitors are working on it,” Mr Bell said.

However, Upper Hunter Show committee president Keith Googe said the deeds clearly stated the show committee had complete ownership of the grounds.

“There are no restrictions in the deeds as far as whether it can be sold or what can be done with it,” Mr Googe said.

Mr Bell is also against the proposal to rezone the land and put a bulky goods centre on the site as he believed the businesses would not be economically viable.

Mr Bell said Muswellbrook would not have the population growth to support the centre.

Muswellbrook Shire Council mayor Martin Rush opposed this view and said many of the arguments put forward in Mr Bell’s pro forma letter were not relevant to land use planning.

“Councillors and community members will have their own views on whether Muswellbrook is growing or not,” Cr Rush said.

“In my personal opinion, supported by the Hunter Valley Research Foundation and the Australian Bureau of Statistics, Muswellbrook Shire’s local government area is the fastest growing LGA in the Hunter.

“None-the-less, council will consider Mr Bell’s submissions.”