A PLANNING application for a wing manufacturing plant in Easter Compton has been submitted.

GKN Aerospace has submitted an application to South Gloucestershire Council so work can begin on its new wing facility.

GKN wants to build a new two-storey building to house staff amenity facilities, such as a restaurant and changing rooms.

The company has also applied for external alterations to two existing units that it has taken ownership of so as to create ventilation for paint spray areas.

GKN announced last month that it had plans to expand its Filton site, where it has 1,500 workers, and open a new dedicated composite manufacturing facility in Easter Compton.

The new site will use the latest in automated composite manufacturing technologies to produce the A350 XWB wing trailing edge and wing spar and assemblies.

Once the facility is up and running up to 300 staff could be transferred from Filton to work in Easter Compton.

Helene Cox, spokesman for GKN Aerospace, said: "It was fairly pressing that we get this work started on the A350 wing so we are currently equipping the Easter Compton site so work can start imminently. That is where the work will be based for the foreseeable future."

GKN Aerospace took over the wing component manufacturing and assemblies of Airbus UK at Filton last September at a reported cost of £136 million.

More information about the planning application can be found by visiting www.southglos.gov.uk.