Fierce opposition has been raised against proposals to bring a three million tonne sand quarry to a countryside village.

Kent County Council is running a consultation to gauge local opinion on using nine different sites as mineral quarries, as it predicts a near 2million tonne shortfall in sand supplies by 2030.

Among the suggestions is 12 hectares of farmland off Roughetts Road in Ryarsh, just south of the Kent Downs area of outstanding natural beauty.

Proposals for Ryarsh, referred to as West Malling Sandpit in the consultation, could see 3.6million tonnes of soft and silica sand dug up over 24 years of work.

After five years of restoration, the site is expected to return to farmland.

Andy Betts lives in Old School Lane and runs the village website and Facebook page.

"There must be places available that aren't residential" Andy Betts

He said: “Ryarsh is the most wonderful place I have ever lived, but this could threaten it.

“We’re looking at a generation of work, Roughetts Road won’t be able to take extra lorries coming and going shifting millions of tonnes of sand.

“This can’t be the only place in Kent that has this sand, there’s another proposal for a 4million tonne site in Lenham, there must be places available that aren’t residential.”

The proposals will contribute to the Kent Minerals and Waste Local Plan, setting out the county’s mineral supply until 2030.

The plan currently estimates a 1.9million tonne shortfall in soft sand, putting Lenham and Ryarsh forward as viable solution.

The consultation reads: “These sites would provide a surplus of around five million tonnes over the plan period.

“This ‘surplus’ is necessary as it would give flexibility to account for: sites not coming forward as anticipated; yields being lower than anticipated, or demand increasing over the plan period.”

“To have this happen now is quite disappointing, north west Kent could lose its countryside charm” Damien Benton

Damien Benton, 36, moved to Church Lane in June.

He said: “I just moved out of Gravesend to be part the village lifestyle.

“To have this happen now is quite disappointing, north west Kent could lose its countryside charm.”

Ryarsh Parish Council has called a village meeting on January 29.

Mr Betts, 41 added: “This will be one of the best attended meetings the village has had, I can’t think of a single person in the village that supports this.”

Other sites on the list include Stonecastle Farm in Hadlow, Postern Meadows in Tonbridge, Moat Farm and The Postern, both in Capel, Joyce Green Quarry and Central Road in Dartford and Lydd Quarry.

Kent County Council said the list comprises of “potential mineral sites required to supply a steady and adequate quantity of mineral resources to meet the objectives of the Kent Minerals and Waste Local Plan.”

The consultation is available via http://consult.kent.gov.uk/portal/.