THERE are just two weeks left to respond to major plans for gravel extraction at Roeshot Hill in Christchurch.

Proposals for the operation at the site off the A35 at Hinton have been submitted to Hampshire County Council, with the period for consultation ending on June 24.

Under the plans, 60 hectares of land would see minerals extracted over a period of 15-20 years.

A plant and operations area would be built on the site, which would be accessible from the A35, by the pick your own farm.

It is next to land where plans for 850 homes have been proposed.

The site for gravel extraction site was decided after a previous consultation examined a range of locations, with Roeshot remaining 'the most suitable'.

But concerns have been raised over the increased lorry movements on the already busy A35.

It is estimated there will be 120 lorry movements a day travelling between the site, Poole and Bournemouth.

The site will be in operation between 7am and 6pm during the week and 7am to 1pm on Saturdays.

A petition has been set-up calling for the HGV traffic to be banned from travelling through Christchurch.

It says the movements would have a major detrimental impact on the borough's residents who would suffer for the duration of the extraction.

In one of the written objections to the scheme, a resident said: "The roads in question are often grid-locked, at any time of day, and the addition of 120 quarry lorries, with their attendant size, vibration, dust and pollution would seriously decrease life quality for Christchurch residents.

"Increased traffic equals increased journey times which would impact negatively on businesses and traders in Christchurch; whose customers and suppliers would become frustrated at the difficulty of doing business in the town.

"The traffic survey already done is not, in my view, representative.

"I believe that this quarry will be horrendous for Christchurch and the surrounding areas and would urge that you please reject it."

Another objector said: "I have walked and spoken personally to business proprietors through the length of

the Bargates into the Fairmile, the common response was of fear.

"I also noticed a outcry of frustration and anger, of why more traffic, forced upon us."

But a report says the traffic would see an increase of 1.2% and is considered an "immaterial impact".

Calls to use the railway, which is next to the site, have also been dismissed as 'unworkable' due to the high embankment and costs of building a railway siding.