ENVIRONMENTAL issues were thrashed out as campaigners against gravel extraction aired their grievances to Milford councillors last night.

More than 70 worried residents heard the chairman of Downton and Milford Against Gravel Extraction (DAMAGE), Jim Sey, represent their concerns about proposed gravel digging at Downton Manor Farm.

There have been more than 1,200 individual objections to the plan.

Milford parish councillors, backed by local Hampshire county councillor Alan Rice and New Forest District Council leader Cllr Melville Kendal and chairman Cllr Squadron Leader Michael Pemberton have banded together to fight the proposals.

DAMAGE members claim there will be noise and dust from tracked excavators and heavy lorries on site and increased road dangers with lorries accessing the works from the busy A337 road.

There are also concerns about the risk of water running from the site into the Danes Stream downstream of the Downton Lane flood defence barrage and causing flooding in Milford village.

New Milton Sand and Ballast wants to extract 810,000 tonnes of sand and gravel fron the 40-acre greenfield site between the A337 at Downton and the Shorefield Holday Park complex during a six-year period.

The company says it will restore the site with lakes, woodland and fields.

However opponents are worried about the potential for future landfill with its associated smells and increased lorry movements.

There was a dire warning from Shorefield Holidays Ltd managing director Michael Pollock who said the 800-holiday home business brought £16 million a year into the local economy.

"Would gravel extraction help us with our business on that boundary?

"The answer is 'No'. People would vote with their feet. They might come once, but they won't come again," he said.

Cllr Rice described the issue as the most important for Milford since he has represented it at Winchester.

Parish council chairman Cllr Julian Davies urged everyone to attend the county council regulatory committee meeting on October 19 to oppose the plan.

"We only have one attempt to win this," he said.

First published: October 4