RESIDENTS packed Cantley Village Hall last night to air their views on a £35m scheme to expand the sugar factory.At a special meeting of the parish council's planning committee, factory manager Simpson Ovans outlined the proposal to process imported raw cane sugar during the summer to expand the factory's current five-month operation.

RESIDENTS packed Cantley Village Hall last night to air their views on a £35m scheme to expand the sugar factory.

At a special meeting of the parish council's planning committee, factory manager Simpson Ovans outlined the proposal to process imported raw cane sugar during the summer to expand the factory's current five-month operation.

He told the meeting that beyond 2014 when the EU reviewed its regulation of the sugar industry it would become imperative to make the factory more efficient to secure its long-term future.

However, residents were far from satisfied by his reassurances that there would be only 55 lorries a day taking the sugar to Cantley from Great Yarmouth's outer harbour.

Long-time villager Peter Glanville said at the moment “the giant goes to sleep in February”.

He said people were understandably worried by the prospect of increased summer traffic when there would be far more of a hazard with children on their bikes.

Local county councillor Brian Iles said he was not satisfied that villagers had been given enough information to make a reasoned decision and he said the company should have given more thought to transporting the sugar from Yarmouth by barge.

Villager Gary Symons raised concerns about operating noise during the summer when people would be in their gardens and have their windows open. He demanded more exact calculations about the likely noise levels from British Sugar.

A number of residents in nearby Limpenhoe said the new buildings proposed would have a big visual impact on them and they would also be vulnerable to noise and light pollution.