THE quarrying firm behind a controversial bid to expand its site at Wroughton airfield has put a fresh bid in to council planners.

Marlborough company Earthline Ltd submitted plans to the authority in February to grow its operations from a hangar to include an office building, parking for 50 big trucks, seven vans and 80 staff cars.

Now the company has sent a number of documents to planners in order to show the hangar has been used for storage and depot purposes for more than 10 years, meaning it cannot be deemed to be without consent.

The proposed expansion is opposed by people living in nearby Broad Hinton and Uffcott south and Wroughton to the north.

They fear the increase in use of very narrow roads leading from their villages to the site, particularly by large trucks.

Sue Quick who lives in Broad Hinton, said: “We can assume that Earthline’s existing development on Wroughton airfield will only continue to grow in what is a lawfully-protected Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

"It seems immeasurably unfair to Uffcott and local villagers that this huge, industrial development should be imposed on them.

“The minor single track road and subsequent by-way, leading to the site, is completely unsuitable to accommodate the large increase in HGV vehicles.

"This is unsafe and dangerous to inhabitants, walkers, riders, children, pedestrians and other vehicles using that road, leading through Uffcott and up on to the Ridgeway. The area is completely unsuitable to this size of unsightly development and high-traffic use.”

Paige Stevens from Wroughton said she uses the byway in Uffcott to walk with her dogs.

“I've noticed much more traffic passing along the very narrow byway," she said.

"This path is at risk of being seriously damaged by the weight of the HGVs, making it even more difficult to use and costly to repair.”

In April, Uffcott residents covered the byway with mud as a protest against the use of their narrow road by Earthline’s trucks.

At the time, director Matthew Coplestone, said the company wanted to be “a good neighbour” and added: “I think these people have jumped the gun. The planning application is in and we will await the outcome of that.”

Wiltshire Council’s highways officers have objected to the scheme, on the grounds of potential use of the byway, which it controls, but it is Swindon Borough Council which will rule on the application.

No date has yet been set for a decision on either application.