A DOZEN villages have united to fight plans to extract gravel from the West Oxfordshire countryside.

The parishes of Alvescot, Aston, Bampton, Black Bourton, Brize Norton, Broadwell, Carterton, Clanfield, Grafton/Radcot, Kelmscott, Kencot, and Langford have got together to form campaign group Anti Gravel Group Residents in Oxfordshire West (AGGROW).

It was created after residents and councillors learned that their villages were included in gravel extraction plans being considered by Oxfordshire County Council.

County Hall will decide on October 19 whether to adopt the option of allowing gravel and sand to be extracted from any or all of the 12 villages, amongst others across the county. Other options include concentrating on the existing gravel pits of the Lower Windrush Valley, Eynsham/Cassington/Yarnton, Radley. and Sutton Courtenay, or creating new areas to extract gravel from in a smaller number of places.

More than 100 people turned up at a public meeting in Clanfield village hall on Thursday to give their support to the new group. They are worried that the country roads are not adequate, that quarries will increase the risk of flooding, and that it will leave a massive dent on the landscape.

Campaigners are now trying to raise £30,000 to enlist the help of experts. AGGROW chairman John Bowler said: “We have got to make people aware of this terrible threat as it will ruin this area. We need the funds to fight, if we are not able to bring the technical people we will lose any argument.”

The group plans to raise its concerns with the county council, but Mr Bowler said that it could go to a public inquiry.

Graham Haslam, of Bampton Parish Council, is part of the steering committee of the group. He said: “We have a few lorries at the moment, but that would become hundreds and you can imagine the impact it would have not only on the road structure.”

Neil Ray, treasurer of AGGROW and Langford parish clerk, added: “There is a concern about the lorries, the impact on the roads and the impact of the dust on children at St Christopher’s School.

“Flooding is a great concern as we have all been flooded recently.”

County Hall spokesman, Marcus Mabberley, said: “Parishes were consulted earlier in the year about options for where future gravel extraction could take place in Oxfordshire. The county council has used the results of those discussions to revise the options.

“Parishes in West Oxfordshire have been invited to a consultation workshop in Standlake on July 12, where there will be further opportunities to discuss where new mineral workings might be located.

“All comments received will be taken into consideration before the matter is taken to cabinet, which at present is scheduled for later in the year. This will then be followed by further public consultation about a preferred strategy for mineral working.”

The county council began looking at locations after the then Communities Secretary John Denham proposed increasing the quantities of gravel and sand that Oxfordshire must provide to 2.1m tonnes a year, an increase of almost 20 per cent.

Susan Buchan, 72, of Clanfield, said: “If this goes ahead, we are doomed to a lot of noise and fuss, it will be unliveable.”

Nancy Haughton, of Clanfield, said: “I am concerned about the health of the children from the dust as the school is very close by.”

James Gardner, 81, of Radcot, said: “There will be 25 ton lorries, 80,000 of them a year — this road infrastructure won’t take it.”

Jeffrey Cleaver, 37, of Clanfield, was concerned that his business — Silver Pear Weddings — would be affected. He said: “It’s not just our business, it’s the pubs, the Thames Valley tourism, it’s the accommodation, there will be a massive effect.”