Earthline has months to tear down Wroughton airfield buildings after losing appeal

This means it now has to remove buildings and installations it built without permission on Wroughton airfield.

This outcome has ended an almost two-year dispute that has seen residents from Wroughton, Alexandra Park, Uffcott and Broad Hinton hotly protesting against the company's presence in the area and the increased flow of HGV's passing through their homes.

After taking ownership of the Wroughton Airfield site in 2014, Earthline had laid down hard standing to create a  lorry park, built a weighbridge and office block to house staff and added a vehicle washing area and refuelling plant without obtaining planning permission. 

But in 2020, Swindon Borough Council ordered the company to remove it all which led to the firm appealing the decision to the government-appointed planning inspector and two weeks of arguments which were heard in May at the council's civic offices. 

Villagers protesting against Earthline

Now the planning inspectorate decision has been revealed and it sides with Swindon Borough Council's orders being upheld. 

Earthline now has 15 months to remove all of the additions it had made to the site and restore it back to how it was, which includes levelling the ground and re-seeding it with grass.

In the lengthy decision document, the planning inspector Paul Dignan said: "the argument is that the use by Earthline as its depot and administrative base, a sui generis use, is not materially different from what the appellant says was the existing lawful use of the land when Earthline took up occupation and commenced the current use.

He added: "I have found that a lawful use has not been demonstrated, in fact, no lawful use has been demonstrated, and it follows that the appeal on this ground, so far as the use is concerned, must fail."

Also dismissed were Earthline's claims it was too late for enforcement action to be taken

The location's character and appearance and highway safety also played a part in the decision

Councillor Jenny Jefferies, who was one of many councillors who campaigned against Earthline's appeal, posted on Facebook following the decision

She said: "Along with Councillor Lawrence Elliott, Councillor Cathy Martyn, Councillor Brian Ford, Councillor Dave Martyn, and Robert Buckland MP, I am extremely pleased and relieved to announce that the Earthline Appeal has been refused by the Planning Inspectorate.

"This issue has been raised by hundreds of local residents, and we have shared their concerns about the detrimental impact on the local community, particularly with regard to safety on the local roads."