Residents of two Norfolk villages have met the directors of an aggregate extraction firm to voice their concern at plans to extract gravel from greenfield land.

Members of the Silfield and Stanfield Homes Action Group met directors of Longwater Gravel to oppose the firm's 12-year gravel extraction plan.

The 23 residents, with concerns cover a range of issues, from water resources to noise pollution and traffic safety, discussed their fears with representatives from the company behind the proposal.

Longwater Gravel will be submitting a planning application in the near future to seek permission to extract and process 600,000 tonnes of sand and gravel from an area of agricultural land to the south of the B1135 Stanfield Road, near the junction with Bridge Road, approximately two miles east of Wymondham in a project due to last 12 years.

Silfield resident Adrian Gent said: 'The residents of Silfield and Stanfield are grateful to Longwater Gravel for meeting with us but their responses to our concerns have not reassured us. They will be turning narrow tractor lanes used by local residents and many Wymondham walkers, runners, cyclists and horse riders, into industrial and dangerous highways.'

Will Littleboy, managing director of Longwater Gravel, said he welcomed the opportunity to meet local residents and that his firm had operated other sites without complaints. 'We will continue to liaise with the community to see if these concerns can be overcome,' he said.