AN Oakhanger business is urging its customers to fight plans which could affect villagers for nearly four decades.

Proposals to extract clay at Selborne Brickworks and reinstate the land to agricultural use have been submitted to Hampshire County Council.

Forestry International Exports Ltd has applied for planning permission to carry out the operation, which it plans to conduct over the next 36 years.

But Springfields Nursery is worried that if the plans are given the go-ahead it would lead to extra lorries using the local road network and have a detrimental effect on its business.

The nursery has now produced a leaflet, which it is handing out to visitors, urging them to write to the county council objecting to the plans.

The leaflet says: ÒWe need your support to help reduce the number of large (20 tonne) lorries you may encounter along the lane as you visit us. Some of you may be lucky and may not have met any large lorries but we have had a constant number of lorries passing us over the last two years but unfortunately this number is due to increase.Ó

The nursery has included five grounds for refusing the application on the leaflet for visitors to include if they wish.

These are:

l The local road network is wholly unsuitable for the large lorry traffic. It is a country lane with few passing places.

l The banks of the lane are becoming eroded as lorries try to pass each other with either lorry climbing the bank to get out of the way of the other.

l The lane itself is in disrepair. Potholes appear within a few weeks and usually get bigger - with more damage being caused to the banks/roads as vehicles avoid such large holes in the road.

l The hedgerows are suffering Ð many plants are being damaged and local fauna is also being affected.

l All aspects of a quiet country/rural environment is affected. Up to 50-60 lorries travel the lane one way a day at times (up to 120 lorries passing us in a day). Therefore, eight out of every 10 customers inevitably meet a lorry.

Rita Greer, of Liss, is a regular visitor to the nursery and was shocked when she was handed the leaflet on a visit to the nursery at the weekend.

She has now written a letter of objection to the county council.

ÒI have just returned from Springfields Nursery and am shocked at the state of the lanes around there,Ó her letter says.

ÒThey are not suitable in any way for large lorries and the potholes are alarming. Already the banks are being eroded, the hedgerows ruined and the whole rural look of the area is becoming industrialised and destroyed. Meeting a large lorry head on when there are few passing places is frightening for any car driver.

ÒI despair of instances like this where the rural environment is just being desecrated. I hope the application will be unsuccessful and the lorries will stop using the lanes.Ó

Selborne Parish Council has already lodged its objections to the plans.

Anyone wishing to comment on the application should write to Peter Chadwick, County Planning Officer, Environmental Department, Hampshire County Council, The Castle, Winchester, Hants SO23 8UD.

l The application is due to be determined by the county councilÕs regulatory committee on May 28.