CAMPAIGNERS last night issued a rallying cry for public support to fight a two-pronged attempt to revitalise controversial plans for a sand and gravel quarry in a Suffolk village.

Dave Gooderham

CAMPAIGNERS last night issued a rallying cry for public support to fight a two-pronged attempt to revitalise controversial plans for a sand and gravel quarry in a Suffolk village.

Sweeping local opposition saw the proposals turned down four months ago but bosses have since appealed against the council decision while also submitting a second application for the site in Chilton, near Sudbury.

Now disgruntled residents and community leaders have called a public meeting to build a fresh fight against the plans - which they claim would shatter the Suffolk countryside and place increasing pressure on local roads.

Colin Spence, county and district councillor, said: “This is a controversial issue and there has been no shortage of interest from the local community in the past so people should attend this public meeting.

“I am not surprised there has been an appeal and a fresh application - it was inevitable. This will impact on Chilton as well as the whole of Sudbury and the surrounding villages. Traffic is the dominant problem but there are others including environmental issues.”

Applicants Brett Aggregates not only appealed against the decision by Babergh District Council but also submitted a fresh application last week, including plans for a roundabout in a bid to ease any traffic concerns.

Mike Courts, the company's general manager, said the firm should be able to dig the quarry because it had been named in Suffolk County Council's mining and mineral plans as a potential site.

But Peter Clifford, chairman of Chilton Parish Council, said: “We still think this is a quarry in the wrong place - there is only access to the A134 and it is already very busy. We will fight this quarry even more strongly this time.

“We are calling for the appeal through the planning inspectorate to be heard in a public inquiry rather than written submission. Unanimous votes by Suffolk County Council councillors, Babergh councillors and most local parish councils would indicate this is a matter of sufficient public concern to warrant this. We will also be opposing the new application.”

Earlier this year, campaigners took to the roads and organised a convoy to the proposed site to represent the additional number of vehicles expected to take to the A134 from the quarry.

The public meeting will be held at Sudbury Town Hall on Tuesday from 7.30pm.