Shorefield residents ''fight to save greenbelt''

Local residents have met with developers at an inquiry into the proposed extraction of more than 800,000 tonnes of gravel at a farm near to the Shorefield Country Park in Hampshire.

Critics of the proposal argue that the current green belt site would be turned onto an industrial area, with the number of lorries using the local roads set to double should the scheme be given the go-ahead.

However, defending the proposal, Robert Fookes QC told the inquiry that the proposed "modest" quarrying site would not compromise the principles of the green belt and indeed it would act as a check on the unrestricted sprawl of large built up areas.

"The use of the site would not be apparent from any settlement and there would be no encroachment on countryside," he argued.

The inquiry, being chaired by the government-appointed planning inspector Alan Boyland, is expected to last several more days.

At present, local authorities in Liverpool are considering plans to construct a new stadium in the Kirby region of the city, including on an area of greenbelt.

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