A PUBLIC consultation on a multi-million pound development at Old Sarum airfield is being held on December 12.

The plans involve hundreds of homes, aircraft hangars, a visitor and conference centre, and a new restaurant to be built and are due to be submitted to Wiltshire Council in a few weeks.

The airfield is just one of three in England that has been in continuous use as a grass flying field since construction in World War I and it is the only one of the three currently in civilian use and open to the public.

The plans to develop the site have angered some local residents who argue it will destroy 65 percent of the airfield perimeter, which is currently intact and one of the main reasons the airfield has conservation status.

Airfield operators say the consultation, which runs from 11.30am to 8.30pm in the Skies Cafe, will allow members of the public to meet the experts.

Old Sarum Airfield Ltd director Grenville Hodge said: "I will be present as will the architects, the landscapers, the heritage people - all the experts will be there so members of the public with any particular questions will be able to ask them.

"We will take into consideration the views of the public as we finalise our plans which will hopefully be finished by the beginning of next year.

"The whole plan is developing and it is quite exciting to see the work we have put into making it a real airfield fit for the 21st century coming together."

The housing development of around 470 homes is to be split into two sections: 320 houses at the western end of the hangars and 150 houses on the south-eastern boundary of the airfield next to Ford, in front of Merrifield Road and Manor Farm Road.

The former is to have a “marina feel” where residents can sit out on balconies and watch aircraft taking off and landing, while the latter is to have arts and crafts-style housing.

Mr Hodge said: “The policy decisions we have taken for the homes near Ford are to have very high quality homes which are larger than many of the houses built today. We think people should have more room to live in. They will range from two-bedroom to six-bedroom homes.

“The housing to the western end of the hangars will be imaginative and forward looking.”

Private aircraft hangars in the shape of spitfire wings are set to include accommodation for owners who want to fly in and stay for the weekend or longer.

The airfield plans to maintain control of the project rather than selling it to a developer and said the development was about “regenerating” the airfield back to “vibrant aviation use”.