A LEISURE complex is just one of the many ideas residents have come up with to utilise the former airfield at Throckmorton.

Over the last decade they have seen a small tip grow into a huge recycling centre, an HGV depot installed, and a foot and mouth burial ground imposed on them. They felt it was the last straw when plans for an asylum centre were drawn up, but it was later withdrawn after a long battle.

Now residents 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 Johnes 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."

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."