NATIONAL protest groups have offered their support to the residents of Compton Bassett after a locally formed group voiced their concern about a proposal to build a large quarry and a mile-long sand conveyor belt across the Wiltshire countryside.

Environmentalists representing the Campaign to Protect Rural England, Friends of the Earth and Greenpeace have written letters of objection to Wiltshire Council following local protest group Calne & District SOS's crusade against the proposal made by Hills Quarry Products Ltd to extract sand from Freeth Farm.

In one letter displayed on the Wiltshire Council planning portal, Anne Henshaw, vice-chairman of the Campaign to Protect Rural England said: "There are many serious concerns regarding the extraction application on environmental or visual grounds. The tonnage available for extraction is small and hardly of significance when compared to the detrimental effects of the workings."

Similarly Friends of the Earth also wrote to the council to express how they supported the parish council's assessment of the proposed extraction and conveyor belt was outweighed by the negative impacts on local residences, the area of natural beauty, ancient woodland and agricultural land.

Jennie Brooks, spokesperson for Calne & District SOS, said: "We are absolutely delighted. It is tremendous to have nationally and internationally renowned organisation support us.

"To have such respected and credible organisations support our objections and submit their own should carry quite a huge weight on the proposal."

CDSOS have also written to MP James Gray, who said he will raise their objections to Coun Tony Sturgis, the cabinet member for strategic planning and development management.