THE Alton Society has kept its eye on the ball this Christmas – despite the festivities acting chairman, Edward Hepper, was quick to pick up an application, "slipped in" to Hampshire County Council by Star Energy, the operators of the Humbly Grove oil field near Lasham. Star Energy is seeking permission to use 16.5m articulated lorries, each carrying 22,000 litres of compressed natural gas (CNG) at 1500psi from Singleton to Weston Common 12 times a day, seven days a week until 2016. The trucks would travel up the A32 and A339 and pass through Alton under the Butts Railway bridge and along Whitedown Lane to the B3349 Odiham road and hence to Humbly Grove. Mr Hepper says that, while the Alton Society is in favour of gas being used for energy generation "instead of being wastefully flared off and contributing directly to greenhouse gases and climate change" it is seeking answers to several concerns. The Society has written to HCC and to Alton Town Council to object to the application for several reasons: l The increase in traffic represented by 12 full and 12 empty articulated tankers per day through the congested Butts Bridges junction: two times 12 tankers may not sound much but it would be a significant increase in the number of other large lorries which bring traffic to a halt when they try to negotiate the junction. l Lack of justification for bringing this CNG all the way to Weston Common from Singleton; are there not sites nearer to Singleton where this gas could be utilised? l Once the Singleton gas is authorised, and a suitable energy generating plant erected at Weston Common, might not this be the thin end of the wedge for more gas to then be transported through Alton from other facilities around southern England, increasing this traffic even further, even beyond 2016? l Even if the road tankers fulfil all necessary safety requirements, there remains public unease about this cargo, especially as Whitedown Lane is a residential area and the A32 and A339 roads and the Butts Bridges junctions are notorious accident black spots. Edward Hepper said HCC has agreed to extend the time for comments on this application from January 3 to mid-January. The case is being dealt with by HCC's Minerals and Waste Planning Department in Winchester. Details can be found on the HCC website at http://www.hants.gov.uk">www.hants.gov.uk; environment and planning or e- mail case officer Peter Chadwick at [email protected]">[email protected] The application reference number is BA057/ BDB67621.