Plans for a bottling plant in Ringwould could pose a danger to the busy Dover Road, a campaign group has claimed.

The alliance, which has called itself Ringwould Against Bottling plant In an Environmentally Sensitive area (RABIES), met Deal and Dover MP Charlie Elphicke on Friday.

In the meantime they have put up RABIES signs in the village to attract motorists’ attention to their plight. Mr Elphicke said: “I listened carefully to residents’ concerns over the proposals to build a new bottling plant in Ringwould.

“Residents are concerned that this stretch of the A258, already the site of fatal accidents, could be made even more dangerous.

“They feel that large lorries and transporters attempting to pull out of the site into oncoming traffic would pose an additional serious hazard. This is a major test of whether Kent County Council Highways can address residents’ concerns. I am writing to the highways cabinet member to ask him to look into the matter carefully and what KCC will do to help reduce the death rate and improve our local road safety.”

Planning consultant Ashley Spanner, of The Gate House, Ringwould, said: “The local development plan clearly shows this site to be outside of the village envelope and the policy explicitly states that there shall not be any further development in this area.”

"This is a major test of whether Kent County Council Highways can address residents’ concerns." - Mr Elphicke MP

Eight campaign organisers, along with two members of the parish council and Mr Elphicke, attended the meeting.

The site is also in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and the nearby residents believe the plant will completely change the visual impact of the area.

Mr Spanner said: “One of the major aspects is the design of the entrance as there will be very large foreign articulated lorries and rigid lorries with trailers having to cross the centre line of the road to exit and this will pose a real danger to all users of the A258 Dover Road at one of its narrowest points.”

Will Bomer, managing director of Kingsdown Water, said a redesigned, wider entrance would be much safer.

In the Mercury two weeks ago, he said: “Our current site is not perfect and could be improved, the new access will be perfect. There’s no doubt it will be safer.”