A KARTING centre has applied for permission to operate permanently in a hangar at Wroughton airfield.

Steve Coen, racing driver and managing director of Winners, had temporary permission for indoor leisure karting, but this ran out last year.

Last year Mr Coen made an unsuccessful application to use the hangar for storage.

Local residents objected, claiming that it could open the floodgates for potentially harmful materials to be stored.

Mr Coen said: "We were cross because we had a tenant who wanted it for storage.

"We will appeal. I can't afford to have a building with no use, so if the appeal goes against us for storage we can't think of any reason why permanent use for karting would not be granted. Swindon needs a karting centre."

Councillor Brian Ford, (Con, Wroughton and Chiseldon) said: "I am not in favour of the application because in the past the planning rules have been flouted.

"It was a temporary permission that has now come to an end.

"I am very concerned about the traffic on Prior's Hill, which is a very narrow road with no pavements.

"We have been trying to take as much traffic as possible off this road, but traffic for this facility did use Prior's Hill at times."

Winners Karting has been at Wroughton since 1998.

Peggy Dennis, 71, of Wroughton, campaigned against the change of use to storage.

She said "Surely it's down to the council to look at his past record and make the decision then.

"Local people haven't been happy from the onset because he promised that Prior's Hill wouldn't be used.

"People who live there say that it has been used for excessive traffic. We fought them over the storage issue, and I think that most local people will be against this permanent siting.

"This is such a lovely area, which is why we put up a fight against anything that we feel would be more detrimental to the area than favourable."

Editor