TIDENHAM Parish Council expects fireworks when councillors face an allegation they failed to tell meetings of negotiations over parish land for a quarry road.
The councillors in question are among six parish-appointed trustees who look after the land, Poors Allotment, provided for parishioners to graze animals after enclosure at the end of the 18th century.
Parish clerk Elizabeth Avery-Brown confirmed calls to the Review from anxious parishioners this week that it appeared the councillors had been to two parish meetings – one of them the annual public meeting – when the road issue came up, but said nothing, even though it was believed they knew of the road negotiations.
"It is going to be quite a meeting on Wednesday," she said.
A quarry firm planning a new venture near Hewelsfield is reputed to be behind the offer to buy or lease land to create a private road from the B4428 to the A48 to take stone to Chepstow, Gloucester and beyond.
No mention has been made of the money being offered to landowners along the route but one caller said she understood it was "a very large sum – mega-bucks, I've heard".
Mrs Avery-Brown said the six trustees, among them the vicar, looked after the land which was part-managed by English Heritage.
"Unfortunately, if you look at the layout of the country it is the most logical place to make the road," she said.
"Many, many years ago the piece of land they want was sold and became farm land, but is has since come back into the parish.
"Our big fear here is that if they do open the quarry and the road it will clear the way for opening the quarry at Tintern and routing it down to the A48."
The quarry proposal is being spearheaded by agents named as Greenfield Associates on behalf of a company which does not as yet wish to be named. However, it is understood it is not local.
The Tidenham site had originally been discounted from the Local Minerals Plan following objections from the Ministry of Agriculture and the Highways Agency.
But the Ministry of Agriculture, who had said they would object to the plan because it would destroy high grade farming land, now say they would not defend their case at a public inquiry, although their objection still remains.
Mr Tim Holton, local plans and development control manager for the county council, said he understood highways objections had now been overcome and that the Highways Agency had agreed a private road from Tidenham Chase to link with the A48 could be serviced by a new roundabout on the A48.
A planning application had yet to be received by the county council and Mr Holton said he did not now expect to receive full details of the proposals until after the county's mineral plan inquiry in September,
Mr Holton said the road would be private and for quarry traffic only. He understood the agents had agreed the route with landowners but at this stage it was not being disclosed in order to reduce pressure by objectors on those who had agreed to the sale of their ground.