CONTROVERSIAL plans to turn land opposite a Hampshire housing estate into a giant gravel pit have been given the go-ahead.

Civic chiefs have approved a ten-year scheme to extract 468,000 tonnes of sand and gravel from a site at Fawley Road, Hythe, and replace it with 540,000 tonnes of inert material.

The site at Forest Lodge Farm is opposite the 550-home Netley View estate, which has recently undergone a £500,000 facelift.

The application by TJ Transport Ltd had been opposed by several residents and councillors, with objectors claiming that it would generate large amounts of noise, dust and traffic. In a letter to Hampshire County Council, Cllr Malcolm Wade said the number of HGVs using Fawley Road, Hythe, would rise sharply if the application were approved.

He added: “This will particularly affect the Netley View estate, the entrance to which is just across the road from the site.

“The estate will also be affected by noise from site machinery. In addition dust and other associated pollution will be be increased by wind influence and taken further afield.

“The site is the wrong location – too close to housing as well as being on a minor road.”

But the proposal was supported at a meeting of the county council’s regulatory committee, despite a total of 35 objections from 21 residents and councillors.

A report to members said the scheme complied with policies that aimed to safeguard human health.

It added: “The restoration of the site would require the importation of approximately 540,000 tonnes of clean inert waste, examples of which include brick and concrete rubble from construction and demolition sites.

“It will not adversely affect other matter in a way likely to give rise to environmental pollution or harm to human health.”

People living in the Netley View and Butts Ash area have spent years fighting plans for gravel extraction at the site and staged a protest rally in 2007.

Ward councillor James Binns spoke at the regulatory committee meeting in a last-ditch attempt to defeat the latest proposal, and afterwards said he was “deeply disappointed”.

He added that a list of conditions – on matters such as hours of opening and dust/noise levels – would also have to be complied with or action would be taken.

Speaking after the debate he said he was “deeply disappointed” at the committee’s decision but cited a long list of conditions that aimed to reduce the impact of the scheme.

He said: “The committee agreed that the proposed 7am start time was unacceptable and changed it to 7.30am on weekdays and 8am on Saturday.

“It was also agreed that dust and noise pollution would be regularly monitored. If they reach a certain level immediate action can be taken by the Environment Agency.”