About WRAGE

WRAGE is an acronym for Walkford and Roeshot Against Gravel Extraction, which just about sums up the aim of the group.

WRAGE was formed back in July 2006, following a community meeting in Walkford. The meeting was called because Hampshire County Council’s newly issued ‘Mineral and Waste Strategy’, referred to a Site Discussion paper, which referred directly to a site at Walkford and Beckley Farms (near the Woodland Burial ground) and one at Roeshot (land to the west of the Cat and Fiddle). WRAGE believes that neither of these proposed sites is suitable for Gravel extraction and landfill, for many reasons, and its aim is to ensure that these reasons are heard and that local interests are represented.

Two previous attempts to put the Walkford site forward have only been rejected because of the number of people who actively wrote to object.

The Public Examination of the Hampshire Mineral and Waste Strategy at the beginning of 2007 was attended by WRAGE, and approximately 5000 objections were received for the two sites!! This shows the level of protest. WRAGE plans to continue to keep up the pressure until both sites are categorically dropped from the plans. This is achievable with enough local support, particularly so as there are so many reasons against using these two particular sites, both of which are adjacent to housing, and both of which have many environmental, health and traffic reasons why they shouldn’t go ahead.