PLANS to extract more than half a million tonnes of minerals from a quarry could see 112 lorries a day driving through a small village to the fury of residents.

Lafarge Aggregates' plans for Dobbs Weir Quarry, in Broxbourne, show a potential route for heavy goods vehicles passing through neighbouring Nazeing.

When Nazeing district councillor Richard Bassett saw the plans, which are submitted to Hertfordshire County Council, he immediately put in enquiries.

He said: “As a neighbouring authority we were notified, but rather late hence we quickly put it on the planning agenda.

“It's obviously concerning. The entrance off Nazeing Road is turn left which is a turn straight through Nazeing. If you look at the plans, there's a back entrance at the top of Dobbs Weir Road which they could take. Then they could put the route through the industrial estate without putting it straight through a village."

He added: “We've been concerned for a while that the village is being used as a run through. We get a lot of heavy goods vehicles through the village and the last thing we need is another 112 more movements. We could do with a few less lorries not a few more.

“We have known for years they would do the mineral extraction, but we don't want a route like this.”

Eddie Culling, 71, of The Mead, Nazeing, lives near the proposed site, and was angry when he discovered the plans.

He said: “We are looking at 30 to 40 tonne lorries going over an 18 tonne restriction, which they do anyway. This is a Herts development, why should we have all the lorries coming through Essex? How many bloody lorries are we going to have?”

Lafarge's plans state the quarry will be mined from 7am to 6pm Monday to Friday, and from 7am to 1pm on Saturday with 56 lorry movements in and 56 movements out a day.

Epping Forest District Council is due to discuss the proposal at its planning meeting this Wednesday, (September 9) where any comments will be passed to Hertfordshire County Council.