The plan to turn RAF Lyneham into a theme park and giant housing estate has been dubbed ‘Eddy’s Fantasy’ by Lyneham Parish Council chairman Tom Webb.

Mr Webb, whose home is 50ft from the perimeter fence of the airbase, said the £200 million project had many flaws and rode roughshod over planning rules.

He was invited to a preliminary chat about the project last week and heard former newspaper tycoon Eddy Shah talk passionately about the plan. Mr Webb said: “I was amused at his speech.

“He talked about the rides in the theme park being no higher than the existing floodlights and that noise only rises. If that is the case how come I could hear the Vulcan taking off on Tuesday?”

Mr Webb agreed that something needed to be done with the airbase once the RAF move out but thought Mr Shah’s plan was too large.

He and fellow Lyneham parish councillors were due to meet yesterday evening to prepare for the meeting being staged at Mr Shah’s Wiltshire Golf and Country Club on Wednesday to give organisations and business people a chance to have their say.

Mr Webb said: “He can expect considerable opposition from us.”

North Wiltshire MP James Gray, who has been working with Mr Shah on plans for Lyneham for the past year, praised Mr Shah’s enthusiasm but he also questioned the scale of the project.

“It is definitely ambitious and dramatic but we have to make sure we also protect the environment and keep Wiltshire the sort of place we all want to live."