ORGANIC farmers Dave and Morag Norman, who run a 16-acre mixed holding in the path of a proposed extension to Drybrook Quarry, say they are facing a fight to save their livelihood.
They plan to put their own objections to the forthcoming inquiry into the Minerals Local Plan.
"Obviously we cannot be forced to sell our land if the extension goes ahead, but we would not want to be working on the edge of a cliff," said Mr Norman.
"It will affect things on the land too like the level of the water table, perhaps making things hard to grow. Plus there will be all the noise and dust."
However they are not trying to put this aspect as the main objection, but are attacking the proposal on the grounds that estimates for the amount of stone required from the county are needlessly high.
Although the Normans are making their own protest they are lining up with Ruardean and Drybrook parish councils, the Forest of
Dean District Council and Ruardean and
Drybrook Residents' Association, which are also to table objections at the inquiry on September 5.
Proposals for and against the Drybrook Quarry extension, which will create an enormous excavation, will be heard by an independent planning inspector appointed by the Secretary of State.
The inquiry is expected to last some six weeks with an additional interval of two weeks, after which the final Minerals Local Plan will be drawn up.
Morag and David say it has been a long hard battle to achieve their Soil Association organic status, and they were hoping to see their business grow.
They run some cattle, two large free range chicken flocks and occasionally rear pigs at Crooked End Farm plus organic crops.
They also have their own shop to sell organic produce from Crooked End and also other organic farms in the area.