VILLAGERS have reacted angrily to a delay to a decision on whether gravel could be extracted close to their homes.

Members of campaign group Oxfordshire Upper Thames Residents Against Gravel Extraction (Outrage) said they had spent thousands of pounds employing a legal representative for a four to six day public inquiry which was due to begin yesterday.

The villagers were planning to fight an appeal made by Hanson aggregates against Oxfordshire County Council’s decision last November to turn down planning permission for a 146-acre extraction site at Stonehenge Farm, near Cumnor.

Inspector Ken Smith granted an adjournment to allow Hanson Aggregates to look more into flooding in the area.

More than 50 members of the public packed into Northmoor Village Hall ahead of the cancelled inquiry.

Jane Dodds, of Rack End, Standlake, said: “They have had a year to get together this evidence and they are now saying it is not ready. We all have jobs to go to and we have had to give up time to come here.”

Peri Hankey, a member of Outrage, said: “We are disappointed because we want to put forward our case and have it heard.”

In requesting the adjournment, Robert Hanson, on behalf of the county council, said: “The exercise that’s being undertaken by Hanson is a valuable exercise in terms of understanding the potential for flooding across the flood plain.

“The county council would like to see and evaluate this.”

Representing Hanson Aggregate, David Park said: “It seems to me that the timetable is not adequate. We have worked terribly hard to try to get all of the information.”

Mr Smith adjourned the public inquiry until April 13, and said: “In fairness to the main parties and to the residents, I need the best evidence to make a decision.”