A row over a concrete plant which West Sussex County Council alleges was opened without planning permission will come to a head tomorrow.

Dudman Aggregates began producing concrete at its sand and gravel quarry at Westhampnett near Chichester in May.

Council officers ruled that permission was needed and the company has now put in a formal bid for planning consent to keep the operation.

But county councillors have been told to reject the scheme and to set a 28 day deadline for equipment to be removed from the site.

The company will be told that action will be taken to enforce the deadline if the request is ignored.

Planning officer John Kilford says the concrete operation has created more intensive use of the quarry and the extra lorry movements will take the quarry above its permitted maximum of 100 vehicles a day entering and leaving the site.

His report to a meeting to be held at Chichester says: "There is a sufficient number of concrete batching plants in the local area and there is no need for another particularly in this sensitive countryside location."

Dudman Aggregates has told the council that producing concrete at the site using the sand and gravel already being extracted does not cause noise and special measures have been taken to avoid dust problems.

The company says the concrete operation will stop when its planning permission to run Valdoe Quarry expires in 2009 and the land is restored.