FIERCELY-OPPOSED plans to build a £67.5m Stonehenge visitor centre at Amesbury are back with councillors less than a year after councillors threw the plans out.

English Heritage bosses resubmitted their planning application to Salisbury district council this week and said they felt confident their bid to site the controversial centre just east of the Countess roundabout would win through this time.

Heritage's Stonehenge director Peter Carson told the Journal: "The scheme was recommended for approval by the council's own planning officers last time and was approved by northern area committee councillors, before falling at the last hurdle when it went to the planning and regulatory panel.

"So, although there is no guarantee with these things, we are reasonably optimistic of success this time round."

The council planning and regulatory panel was cheered and applauded by Countess Road and Larkhill residents, after it refused permission for the controversial visitor complex last July.

But English Heritage later lodged an appeal against the decision and, after a detailed reappraisal of the scheme earlier this year, the district council announced in February that it had invited EH to resubmit its plans.

Mr Carson confirmed that this had now been done and that the appeal which could involve the council in huge legal costs was being held in abeyance.

He said the resubmitted plans were exactly the same as those put forward last time, including the proposal for a land train to take people from the new visitor centre to Stonehenge.

The land train would run close to the back gardens of homes at Larkhill and residents there are worried about the disruption it would bring to their lives.

However, Mr Carson said English Heritage would look at operation issues and work closely with the council to address residents' concerns.

He said English Heritage would also continue to work with the council to minimise the impact of the visitor centre on the lives of people living in Amesbury's Countess Road.

"We want to provide an attraction that everyone can be proud of," he said.

Mr Carson said English Heritage expected a decision on its resubmitted planning application by the end of July and, if successful, hoped to announce a construction timetable soon afterwards.

But much hinges on the outcome of the government's latest review of improvements for the A303 past Stonehenge and how that affects long-standing plans for a Countess Road flyover.

Mr Carson said: "We shall be awaiting the decision on the A303 review with bated breath."

English Heritage chairman Sir Neil Cossons said the visitor centre would transform people's experience of Stonehenge and create new opportunities for tourism and the local economy.

He added: "English Heritage is committed to securing planning permission for the scheme, and we look forward to working with Salisbury district council to ensure the best possible outcome for Stonehenge, its visitors and local residents and businesses."