This blueprint for a theme park, 1,000 eco homes and a snowdome at RAF Lyneham is the new dream of former newspaper tycoon Eddy Shah.

Mr Shah, who took on the print unions and won in the 1980s, is now ready to fight tooth and nail to make sure the massive RAF Lyneham site does not become a white elephant if the MOD decides not to use it as an army base.

He wants the Government to decide quickly if it wants to retain the base, which covers nearly 1,300 acres. If it decides to sell then he is ready with his plan B.

He said he has already spent more than £250,000 of his own money so he can go immediately to planning with his scheme.

He said: “Doing nothing is not an option. We have an opportunity here to do something fantastic for Wiltshire and I truly believe it can happen. It is not a pipe dream.

“I wouldn’t have invested the amount of money I have if I didn’t think it could happen.

“But I am not doing this for me. I would be happy if someone else comes up with an alternative idea. But we can’t afford to lose the jobs and the millions of pounds from the economy.”

His City connections mean he could bring in fellow businessmen to help fund the scheme.

Key to it ever reaching fruition is getting a new junction on the M4 to give access to the development. Mr Shah said he has had talks with government officials and is optimistic an agreement could be reached.

The plan includes an eco village of up to 1,000 sustainable homes at prices local people can afford and a Center Parcs-style holiday village. This area would be themed in Roman, Tudor and Anglo-Saxon styles and include a themed hotel, which Mr Shah wants to run.

Next would be a county showground and a Wiltshire heritage area, complete with a mini- Stonehenge and Avebury and a saxon village. It would flow into the Alton Towers-type theme park near the existing RAF Lyneham buildings and make use of old aircraft hangars to make it an all-weather attraction. A snowdome would also be built there.

Mr Shah, owner of the Wiltshire Golf and Country Club in Wootton Bassett, said chefs including Michel Roux and Heston Blumenthal, who are regulars on his golf course, have backed his plan for a catering college.

An area of about 150 acres which will be a carbon neutral energy power area in a woodland setting could provide power for the development and surrounding villages.

Aged 67, you could have forgiven Mr Shah for looking forward to his retirement but he has the bit between his teeth.

He said: “My wife Jennifer and I are both 67 and I could see the look on her face when I came up with this scheme. But she is backing me, she knows this is something I really want to do, so she hasn’t got a lot of choice.”

What do you think?

Discuss the plan

A meeting to discuss Eddy Shah’s RAF Lyneham plan has been called by Wessex Association of Chambers of Commerce.

Business people and organisations will be welcome on Wednesday, April 6 at the Wiltshire Golf and Country Club, in Wootton Bassett, from 6pm.

Golf club owner Mr Shah, who is behind the plan for 1,000 homes and a theme park will outline the scheme and take questions.

Anyone wanting to attend the meeting should email secretary@wootton bassett.biz with their details.