A SECOND World War aircraft hangar is set to become a testing facility for Dyson.

The grass-roofed building on the former RAF Hullavington airfield, which has most recently been used by the military for testing vehicles and machinery, has been given a certificate of lawful development by Wiltshire Council because the use will be similar.

Hullavington, built in 1937 as a flying training school, was last used by the RAF as a maintenance base. But it has been many years since hangar 181 housed aircraft. In recent times it has been used by the Royal Logistic Corps.

Most of the airfield has been sold by the MOD to Dyson, which wants to create a global research and development hub.

A planning report said: “The applicant has stated that they require a covered facility with good thermal properties and little influence from external sources to cater for some of its testing, workshop and maintenance processes.

“The equipment and facilities required for this would be housed within the hangar. No external or internal changes to the hanger are proposed.”

Back in September James Dyson announced a £2.5bn drive to produce a radically different new car with the aim of putting it on sale in 2020.

A prototype had not yet been built but batteries were in development and the electric motorway was ready.