IT has been Britain's largest foot-and-mouth burial ground, a large waste recycling centre, an HGV depot and it nearly became an asylum centre - but now Throckmorton residents want the former airfield to be turned into a leisure complex.

They are drawing up their own parish plans before another developer steps in.

District councillor, Malcolm Argyle said: "The consultation events held last Thursday in Bishampton and Friday in Throckmorton were very successful, with really good turnouts."

He said soon all the villages around the airfield will have completed their surveys, including Lowe Moor, Wyre Piddle and Pinvin, which will be just in time to incorporate them into the Local Plan for the area.

Bishampton resident Irene Jones said: "I would like to see some sport for the youngsters and a wildlife area incorporating a war memorial commemorating the Canadian servicemen who were based there during the war."

Unsuitability

She said she was against any light industrial development because of the unsuitability of the surrounding lanes to take the traffic.

Sylvia Cheetham, who also lives in Bishampton said: "It was a very useful exercise and some people have some smashing ideas.

"It would be lovely to have a nice sports complex there, but with a new road going straight to the Wyre Piddle bypass."

More than 130,000 carcases of animals slaughtered during the 2001 foot-and-mouth crisis were brought to Throckmorton for burial.

Residents thought it was the last straw when the Government drew up plans to build an asylum centre at the site. After 1,000 campaigners attended a protest, the plans were dropped at the end of 2002.