RESIDENTS and councillors have joined forces to fight plans for a gravel extraction company to continue digging after nearly 30 years of excavation.

Those living close to the pit at Thrupp Lake are concerned that extraction company H Tuckwell and Sons has taken too long to dig the gravel.

The Vale of White Horse District Council has written to Oxfordshire County Council to ask for the workings of the gravel pit, between Abingdon and Radley, to be checked.

Tuckwell has been digging on the Green Belt site for nearly three decades and last December the company applied to the county council to extend its planning permission so that it could continue to do so.

However, the Thrupp Lane Residents' Association claims the company is now using the site to import gravel for processing and then exporting it, which has led to an increase in heavy goods traffic along the country lane.

Members from action group Save Radley Lakes have also got involved.

Peter Harbour wrote to the district council to raise his objections, saying: "Having read and understood the implications of Tuckwell's figures ... I have changed from being a satisfied customer of Tuckwell to recognising that their business no longer has any reason to be in Radley."

Jo Cartmell said: "Thrupp Lane is part of the National Sustrans Cycle Way. It is only a matter of time before there is a serious accident and then it will become a national issue."

The campaign is being backed by Radley Parish Council. Chairman Jennie Standen said: "They have had so many extensions and we really think that they have gone beyond their brief."

The application has been discussed by district councillors, who asked planning officers to write to the county council, listing their concerns about the application.

Mike Gilbert, the district council's development manager, said: "The concerns included the length of time taking Tuckwell to complete extraction, which has already been extended by five years, and in that time they haven't been extracting an awful lot, questioning whether they need another extension.

"In the meantime, there are industrial processes on site we are concerned are continuing and asking whether these are continuing separate to Tuckwell's activities."

Tuckwell declined to comment.