Ten-year gravel plan is 'the last straw' for area

Hanson Aggregates plans to extract sand and gravel from a 140-acre site, but neighbours on both the southern side of the site, between Whitehall Lane and Milton Park, Egham, and the northern side between Stroude Road and the M25, Virginia Water, have hit out at the plans, which could go before Surrey County Council as soon as September

Terri Morris, a member of the Stroude Road Residents' Association who lives just off Stroude Road, Virginia Water, said the proposals were the last straw for the village.

"With everything they are doing in Virginia Water, they might as well dig a big hole and drop the whole village into it. There's this, the incinerator and the plans to build on the station car park as well."

She is afraid that her narrow residential road would be under siege from noise, dirt and traffic dangers from lorries thundering their way to and from the extraction site.

She said: "The amount of traffic we have now is ridiculous - I used to let my children walk to school on their own, but I don't think about letting my grandchildren do that."

"I have lived here for 44 years and this used to be a quiet country road. It's changed beyond recognition already."

Residents in Egham have similar fears.

Jim Pearcey, chairman of the Egham Residents' Association, said his association will be fighting the plans when they are put in. "What worries me the most is the number of lorry movements - 2.3 million tonnes is a large amount of gravel.

"That is a green, rural area as you come into Egham. Gravel raising has already completely changed parts of Ashford. Parts that used to be farmland are a mess now because of gravel raising and the same would happen here.

"But it's not just how it will affect the area visually - we're worried about the lorries that will be congesting all the roads around Egham. This site is going to be huge and it will affect everyone."

Hanson is planning to hold a public exhibition at the Literary Institute in Egham High Street on Thursday, July 17, between 2pm and 8.30pm and says it is keen to listen to residents.

David Norminton, its land and planning manager said the site would be returned to agricultural grassland after the gravel extraction and there no large tracts of water would be created.