DORSET councillors are being recommended to back a seven-year extension to Chard Junction Quarry near Thorncombe.

If approved at a strategic planning meeting on September 6, it could result in an additional 930,000 tonnes of sand and gravel being taken out of the area.

The decision had been expected to be made earlier in the year but was delayed by three months after consultation notices were sent to an out of date email for the Tatworth and Forton parish council.

The application involves a new extraction area for sand and gravel at the Westford Park Farm section of the quarry.

Residents living near the site have lodged objections to the proposals saying it will be more visible and disruptive, will lose good agricultural land and be harmful to wildlife.

The application, from Aggregate Industries UK, asks for temporary planning permission to extract approximately 930,000 tonnes of sand and gravel over seven years with a new internal haul road being constructed to reduce HGV trips on the local road network.

Documents from the company say the site is 500 metres to the south west of the existing plant and processing area and is made up of four farm fields.

Several farm cottages are within 150 metres together with a stables and piggery.

The site is within the Dorset Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and has several rights of way around the proposed extension, including one which crosses the site, which would be temporarily diverted.

Three phases are proposed – building the haul road and extracting gravel on and around its path with extraction then continuing from north to south to a maximum depth of 45 metres in the final phase.

Topsoil and overburden material will be used to create a temporary screen bund with restoration taking place as the site progresses.

The planning committee will meet online at 10am next Monday, September 6, to make their decisions. Planning officers are recommending approval.