FEARS hazardous waste could be dumped in a Hartlebury quarry will be discussed by villagers tonight.

Waste firm Biffa will have its appeal for a licence to dispose of "special waste" at the Whitlenge quarry heard by the planning inspectorate in July.

But a new group, HALT - Hartlebury Against Landfill Toxins - has arranged a public meeting in the village church to rally residents in opposition to the scheme.

Members are worried about the health effects of the scheme - and feared that it could pollute a local water supply.

Denis Desmond, who lives on Whitlenge Lane about half-a-mile from the quarry and will be chairing tonight's meeting, said people were worried about the effects the proposals would have on health and traffic in the village.

They will be discussing a range of concerns, including the implications for protected great crested newt in a pond at Pye Hill Farm on Walton Lane.

Mr Desmond said the quarry is sited above a section of sandstone which is used "extensively" for public water supply, and the group was worried it could be susceptible to contamination from hazardous waste dumped there.

Biffa is applying for its licence at a meeting at the Stewponey in Stourton on July 24 - and HALT is looking to raise about £4,000 required to hire an expert to present villagers' concerns to the planning inspectorate.

The group also aims to recruit enough members to convince the inspectorate that it should be allowed access to paperwork submitted by Biffa to find out exactly what materials the firm is planning to dump.

Mr Desmond said the group was seeking to prove that illnesses including respiratory diseases are more common around sites where hazardous waste is dumped.

"Biffa is looking to finish filling the quarry in 2010 and we think this will lead to an increase in traffic on all approach roads to the village and a reduction in the value of houses," he added.

He urged villagers to turn up in force for tonight's meeting, which begins at 7.30pm.