PLANS to build a new marina in Wallingford have been labelled a ‘Trojan horse’ for gravel extraction.

Numerous groups have now raised concerns about London Rock Supplies and White Cross Projects’ plans after a public consultation opened.

The developers insist they have been ‘very clear’ that the plans are for a marina.

The companies staged their first exhibition on the proposed facility in January, telling residents of their ambition to build a 320-berth marina on land at White Cross Farm, with a new access route onto Reading Road.

However the marina is only planned for after the site has been used as a sand and gravel extraction pit for years.

Mark Gray, who represents Benson and Cholsey on Oxfordshire County Council and is chairman of Cholsey Parish Council, said he was ‘very much opposed’ to the proposals.

He went on: "There is absolutely nothing to say that a marina would be built should they dig the gravel out.

"People think it’s a Trojan horse for a gravel pit."

He said that developers had agreed to put in £300,000, which would not be enough for a new marina.

Wallingford Town Council and Cholsey Parish Council are both objecting to the scheme.

Town councillor Adrian Lloyd added: "Wallingford Town Council expressed its concerns about this over two years ago, and nothing the developer has done since has allayed those concerns.

"This is not an application for a marina, it is an application for sand and gravel extraction with the pit to be turned into a marina afterwards.

"Unless OCC requires the developer to put a sum of money (equal to all of the restoration costs and the costs of the marina infrastructure) into a locked account up front, there will be a risk that if this is given planning permission no marina will actually be built and we will be left with a flooded hole in the ground."

A number of concerns were raised in a document screening opinions of various local groups.

An environmental health officer from South Oxfordshire District Council said: "I have very strong concerns that noise, dust and vibration from the development will have an undue negative impact on nearby residential properties.

"Further information will be needed in relation to the residential areas of Carmel College, Elizabeth House, Coachman Cottage, the lodge, Mead Furlong, Mill Lodge, Riverside, and residential properties in Reading Road and Wallingford Road to the north of the site."

Even if the marina is created as promised, several groups have raised concerns about its green credentials.

The Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire Wildlife Trust wrote: "Given the location of the site within the Thames Wallingford-Goring CTA (Conservation Target Area), it is disappointing that the proposed restoration does not appear to provide much scope for delivering biodiversity enhancements."

An ecologist at Oxfordshire County Council said: "I am concerned that the site potentially contains UK Priority Habitat, also that proposed restoration is to a marina, which could result in a net loss in biodiversity."

Flood planners at the county council raised a list of ten concerns, although the council’s transport team said ‘the approach set out is reasonable’.

South Oxfordshire District Council made no comments and the Environment Agency made some suggestions, including provisions for fluvial flooding. Other groups called for further research.

A spokesman for the county council said the plans were ‘likely’ to be considered by the planning and regulation committee ‘after summer/ in the autumn’.

Simon Rees, a spokesman from Greenfield Associates which is working with developers, said: “To create the water area there has to be a construction phase that will include the excavation of sand and gravel. This will take about four years to complete.

"There will then be an additional year for the final marina infrastructure construction, such as the facilities building, car parks, footbridge over the marina entrance, together with the pontoons and moorings. This will comprise an investment of well in excess of £2m. A gravel pit development would require very minimal investment to restore the land back to agricultural land at original ground levels using imported inert landfill materials.”

He added that plans had been modified, after consulting residents, to include leisure facilities.