STRATEGIC plans to extract millions of tonnes of gravel and sand from sites in Cricklade have been approved by Wiltshire Council’s full council.

Swindon and Wiltshire Councils’ cabinets have approved the blueprint to guide the use of land within the county for the provision of aggregate minerals over the next 14 years. From 62 possible sites put forward by landowners, officers identified seven as being able to produce 1.2m tonnes of gravel and sand per year to meet demand up to the year 2026.

Of the seven sites, none are in the Swindon borough, but five are in the Cricklade area: North Farm, north east of Cricklade, land east of Calcutt, land at Cotswold Community, near Ashton Keynes, and Cox’s Farm and Blackburr Farm, near Marston Meysey.

The plan must still be approved by the full councils of both Swindon and Wiltshire, as well as a Government-appointed inspector.