New plans are due to be submitted for a sand quarry on 21 acres of farmland near Ryarsh.

Developers Waterman Infrastructure and Environment say their scheme will be a scaled-back version of the quarry first proposed on land west of Roughetts Road in 2017.

The original proposal to dig up 3.6 million tons of aggregate met with stiff resistance from residents in and around Ryarsh, and prompted the creation of the Ryarsh Protection Group in opposition to quarry.

Waterman now says its studies show there is a reserve of one million tons of sand, which they want to extract over eight years, at a rate of 125,000 tons per year.

Previously an alternative option to quarry at Chapel Farm in Lenham looked to be the preferred option when KCC deemed the Ryarsh quarry to be inappropriate in 2018.

A legal challenge was launched against the plan, and the campaign was backed by Tonbridge and Malling MP Tom Tugendhat, who handed a petition into parliament signed by 2,734 residents.

Kent County Council has now written to Ryarsh Parish Council to gauge their opinion on a environmental impact report, and say formal public consultation will take place once a planning application has been validated.

Waterman has also created a new website landwestofroughettsroad.co.uk on which it states: “The site was previously promoted for use as a quarry through the Kent Minerals and Waste Local Plan. Since that time the area of the quarry has been reduced. The reason for this is to reduce the time period required to extract the sand in response to comments from the community.

“We are in the early stages of designing the quarry which will be based on outcomes of technical reports, national and local planning policy and public consultation.

“The proposed quarry would be excavated in phases over a number of years, likely 8 years for extraction and 6 years to simultaneously restore it back to agricultural land.”

The company goes on to add that quarrying is “widely acknowledged and documented as making one of the biggest contributions to the creation of new habitats and nature recovery,” and suggests the land would be restored six years after quarrying has been completed.

The website adds: “We will be undertaking a public consultation ahead of submission of the Planning application at which time local residents and businesses will be asked for their comments on our proposals. This feedback will then be considered by the project team and the proposals will be updated as necessary.

"We will provide a feedback form for you to record your views directly, the feedback received will also be recorded and submitted alongside the planning application.

Ryarsh Parish Council is due to discuss the new plan at a meeting on Monday September 11. Members of the public are asked to email comments in advance to clerk@ryarsh-pc.gov.uk so that the council has enough time to prepare a response.