Earthline has almost left Wroughton Airfield - several months after the deadline to do so has passed.

The haulage and aggregate firm had a retrospective planning application turned down after putting up a number of buildings at its base in the area.

It lost a subsequent Planning Inspectorate appeal and was ordered to leave Wroughton Airfield by early November 2023 and return the site to its previous state.

The firm said it had stopped its lorries operating in the area, but buildings at the Hangar Six site as well as hard standing it had laid on the ground had not been removed by February this year. 

Now, councillor Lawrence William Elliott has  provided an update that was given to him by Swindon Borough Council to say that progress has been made in reverting the area back to its original state, which has helped Earthline "avoid court action" from the local authority. 

He wrote on Facebook: "I have been advised by Swindon Borough Council that real, significant progress has been with regards to Earthline at Wroughton Airfield. All hardstanding and structures have been removed and the land re-soiled and seeded. In doing this they avoided court action.

"There is one feature (the wheel wash) which remains and this will be removed in September/October, but can’t be used. It needed to remain in place whilst things were being decommissioned on site.

"I would like to thank everyone for their support with this campaign and pleased to report on the progress that has been achieved as a result."

Responding to it missing its deadline in August 2022, an Earthline spokesperson said the company was waiting for agreements to be made for a site for a new headquarters as well as potential buyers for parts of the old one which has delayed matters. 

"We are still waiting for solicitors to do their thing and for the new location to be transferred to us but this is taking longer than we would like," the company said. 

"We have two potential buyers for the office, so that could be removed very shortly.

"All of the trucks have been moved offsite which was the biggest issue for locals and we’ve started backfilling some of the gravel areas, but the bad weather has restricted some of that work because it has been slightly wetter than normal.

"We expect the office to be moved, or to be taken down in the very nearda future, just waiting for one of these two."