HUNDREDS of residents came together in east Dorset yesterday to tell Hampshire County Council they will not stand for a new quarry to be built in their village.
Major plans are in place to build a quarry on Hampshire land in Hillbury Road next to the Dorset village of Alderholt, with residents saying they will be “deeply impacted” if plans were to be approved.
It is estimated as many as 200 lorries could pass through the narrow country lanes each day if the 280-acre quarry was to be built.
Around 300 residents turned up to protest the plans for the quarry, which would be built on arable land.
Ward councillor David Tooke said: “The roads are very narrow, quite windy in places, and they are already damaged from lorries going down there to other quarries up the road.
“This will exacerbate that and make the road virtually impassable. I don’t understand how a lorry weighing 40 tonnes with six axles is going to leave 1.5 metres passed a horse when overtaking them; it will make the road dangerous.”
Read more: Major concerns over plans to increase quarrying near Alderholt
Amongst the hundreds of residents showing up, horses were brought to demonstrate the width concerns on the road. A lorry was also organised as a demonstration but had to be cancelled due to safety concerns.
Organiser Jon Lucas, of the group Residents Against Gravel Extraction (RAGE), said: “There are 3,000 homes here and we in Dorset haven’t been properly told about the plans. Who is going to stand up for nature?
“The road is about five metres wide. A lorry is 2.7 metres with its wing mirrors. It simply can’t safely pass with the horses and pedestrians who walk down this road; this is our main footpath to walk our dogs and get out into the countryside.”
Alderholt resident Fiona Bradfield said: “We have lived here all our lives and the village has been a lovely place to bring up children. But this is outrageous.
“There are young families who live around here who will be deeply impacted by these plans. They will want to walk up and down the road with their children and there is no pavement, so the only option is to walk on the road.
“The road is simply too narrow to accommodate the lorries which may come down this road as well as the children and pedestrians. It’s dangerous.”
The deadline for the consultation and for comments to be submitted to Hampshire County Council is Tuesday, January 31.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here