A Sussex nature reserve is in danger of being turned into a site for travellers, a senior councillor has warned.

West Sussex county councillor Peter Bradbury raised fears that a traveller site the size of at least nine football pitches could be established in Meadow Wood, Cuckfield.

Coun Bradbury was speaking after a planning inspector granted temporary permission for Susan Smith to live on the site in her caravan for the next three years.

Mrs Smith's application was rejected by Mid Sussex District Council earlier this year on the grounds that Meadow Wood was within the High Weald Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

But the inspector found in her favour because all existing public and private traveller sites in Mid Sussex were full.

Coun Bradbury said that given the pressure for new traveller pitches, the news could create a precedent, allowing more travellers to remain at Meadow Wood.

He said: "If temporary permission gets renewed often enough it could become a permanent site.

"And if more travellers moved on to the site and they said they needed to be there for the same reasons, then there's a precedent from the granting of temporary permission for someone else.

"You're leaving the possibility of an increased site by the back door."

Mid Sussex District Council is in the process of assessing the need for gipsy traveller sites in the area, working with West Sussex County Council. New sites are expected to be identified in a development plan to be published in 2012.

Residents, who have campaigned against proposed developments in Meadow Wood since 1989, were disappointed by the decision.

Sarah Fry of the Brook Street Apple Society said: "It's an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty so any potential development on that land has been of concern to us because once it's developed there's no going back.

"We've got nothing against what the land's being used for, it's just the precedent any development sets on future planning regulations that we're concerned with.

"Applications to develop this site have been going on since 1989 with different landowners. If one application is allowed what's to stop anyone else in a similar area. Before we know it there will be no Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty left."

This is the second time Mrs Brook has received permission to live at Meadow Wood. In 2003 temporary planning permission was granted on appeal to station one gypsy caravan at Meadow Wood for three years.

Mrs Brook was unavailable for comment.