MORE questions have been raised over the council's original agreement to buy Wycombe Air Park – and how this affects development of a stadium at the site.

Although Wycombe District Council say there is nothing to prevent development at the site in Booker, Great Marlow, anti-stadium campaigners claim old documents show the modern day council has 'no right' to build there.

They say they are 'astounded' by new revelations the sale was agreed to stop plans for a commercial airport.

Members of action group GASP have asked what else is unknown about the council's deal to buy the site from the Government in 1965.

The air park was sold at a reduced price of £90,000 under a 'private treaty sale'.

Council bosses argued at the time the sale was necessary because they “feared if the property were auctioned it might be lost to flying” and instead “purchased by some large firm of developers”, according to the letters obtained by researchers.

Campaigners were left in 'disbelief' after being told by WDC Leader Cllr Lesley Clarke that the reason behind the sale was actually to prevent a major airport replacing it.

Lib Dem Councillor Steve Guy expressed campaigners' belief the “knockdown price” was agreed because the council “were going to guarantee it as an airfield" at last week's Cabinet meeting.

But Cllr Clarke said it was "totally untrue", adding “as I understand land was bought because at the time there was talk of a major airport there."

WDC has since confirmed her comments, saying in a statement: “Our impression is that one reason that they decided to purchase the land was to prevent a commercial airport from being developed.”

It also reiterated: “There is nothing in the freehold title that we currently hold that prevents development at the airpark.”

Protesters at the meeting waved copies of the letters around and cried 'shame'.

Researchers Roger Neal and Martin Breen, who fear for their beloved Booker Gliding Club's future, say the documents' meaning is clear – WAP must remain as an airfield.

Mr Neal said:“We are in absolute disbelief, I was astounded, we really could not believe what we were hearing.

“Are there documents the council has failed to reveal?”

He said neither research at Kew Public Records Office nor freedom of information requests had revealed anything about an airport.

WDC did not say from where the information derived.

But fears over the air park's future may be unfounded, with WDC saying the stadium could co-exist.

WDC spokesman Catherine Spalton said if the scheme goes forward “we currently believe that it may be possible to keep the Air Park open and create a new community stadium on the site.”