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Bagby Residents Against Airport Expansion (Braae) fear the public are oblivious to Bagby Airfield's plans to expand. They said it could become the next Leeds-Bradford Airport and that the airfield, in North Yorkshire, was already a worry being close to a children's play area and cricket and football club.

Owner Martin Scott wants to build a replacement clubhouse with leisure facilities, accommodation and seven hangars. He also wants permission to extend a hangar, install four wind turbines, create a new vehicle access point and carry out landscaping work.

Jonathan Tulloch, from Braae, said the airport called itself Bagby International on its website and was planning on expanding to accommodate up to 5,000 flights a year. He said: "We are talking about a greenfield site being developed into an airport. "If it is not stopped, there is going to be another Leeds-Bradford. "We think this is a massive project which people just do not know about." It needs to stay as 40 flights a week - a little enthusiasts' club. Otherwise we might as well just destroy Bagby, because putting an airport here that size and structure is going to put the whole thing out of place."

Airfield manager Steve Hoyle said Braae had blown the matter out of proportion. He said there were no plans for an international airport and that Mr Scott simply wanted to upgrade the facilities. He said the nearby A19 precluded the airfield from extending its runway. He said the 30-year-old wooden sheds used as hangars are falling down and blighting the landscape.

If the plans are approved, they will be demolished and replaced with purpose-built hangars. He also said the replacement clubhouse would have a gym that all Bagby residents could use. Mr Hoyle said most residents supported the plans, and that concerns such as those of Braae's members were raised at a recent open day and that everyone had been told the fears were groundless. He said: "It is a grass runway, so we cannot have anything heavy landing here. We are talking about single-engine and piston-engine aircraft - no jets.

"We have got quite a number of people in the village who think this is a fantastic idea. We are talking about pulling seven or eight old buildings down and replacing them with upgraded ones. "I am a local myself so I would not want an international airport here. "He said Bagby Airfield was referred to on the website as Bagby International as an in-joke. He said: "We always used to call it Bagby International because airplanes landed there. That is the way it has always been."

The consultation period for the application will end on Friday.

Hambleton District Council's will decide on the matter by mid- August.