CAMPAIGNERS in Milford and Hordle are holding public meetings next week to urge people to write to Hampshire County Council opposing plans to extract gravel at Downton and Ashley Manor farms.

Jim Sey, chairman of Damage (Downton and Milford Against Gravel Extraction) is seething after county council planners apparently changed their minds after a public inquiry.

At first the council said it had enough sites in the previous minerals plan and would not require any more.

"That was re-stated in January and we were very disappointed to discover that in the draft plan consultation document there was another list," said Mr Sey.

Under the heading "Downton", he found three previously separately listed sites - Downton Manor, Yeatton and Ley Green Farms - together in one package.

The sites together would yield 3.9 million tonnes of sand and gravel, not the 800,000 that was meant to be removed from the Downton Manor site. The document also identified Ashley Manor Farm, which could also produce three million tonnes.

"In the plan they have said to residents they should choose between Ashley Manor Farm and Downton Manor Farm, or choose an alternative site," said Mr Sey.

He said Damage was not there to make people select one site over another and predicted: "If they get one, they get the other."

Another site at Walkford has not been selected as a preferred gravel pit site. But Roeshot, on the Hampshire/ Dorset border, has.

Mr Sey said Roeshot was far more suitable because most of the gravel dug in the New Forest is destined for Dorset.

Roeshot is next to the A35 and heavy lorries heading west would not have to go via the centre of Highcliffe.

In addition, it would produce substantially more than three million tonnes. "It's more than double that," he said.

County council planning officer Trevor Badley said there had been very little opposition to the Roeshot site, but there was still the chance the Walkford site could be set in motion by the landowner.

The Downton and Ashley sites had to be included because of changes in government rules and it was realised the Plumley Wood site in Ringwood Forest would not produce the required quantity of gravel in the given time frame.

The Damage meeeting is in Milford Church Hall next Thursday (7pm) and Hordle and Everton in Tandem Against Gravel Extraction has its meeting the next day in Hordle WI Hall (7.30pm).

The county council has a meeting for invited organisations at Lyndhurst on Monday.