8 August 2012 Last updated at 11:35 ET

Passions high at Isle of Wight asphalt plant meeting

The proposed plant would produce asphalt to maintain the island's road network

Isle of Wight residents filled a town hall for a meeting over a proposed £2.3m asphalt plant near their homes.

East Cowes Parish Council hosted the meeting on Tuesday evening to allow roads contractor Eurovia to explain plans for the plant at Medina Wharf.

About 120 people attended the event at the hall in York Avenue.

The council said it was the first time Eurovia had met residents about the facility, which would serve the island's road resurfacing programme.

Although the event was hosted by East Cowes Parish Council, the plans are for a plant on the west side of the Medina River, in Northwood parish.

'Passions rose'

Acting town clerk Ian Cobb said although West Cowes residents would be most affected by lorry movements to the site, people living in East Cowes shared their concerns about noise and pollution.

Mr Cobb said the town hall was "packed out" with people from both sides of the river.

The meeting began with a 20-minute presentation followed by an hour and a half of questions from the public.

Mr Cobb said: "It started off very civilised but it was fair to say that passions rose during the evening."

Eurovia Roadstone was awarded a 25-year Public Finance Initiative (PFI) contract to maintain the island's roads.

The company said the new asphalt facility would produce 80,000 tonnes of material a year and create 14 jobs.

It would be located about 360m (1,200ft) from a new housing development and East Cowes Marina.

Patrick Riley, divisional director of Eurovia Roadstone, said: "The asphalt itself is only open to the atmosphere when the trucks are being loaded - for about a minute per vehicle - then the trucks are sheeted so the ability for fumes to escape from the site are very limited."

Eurovia told residents it would hold more public meetings in the coming months.