PLANS for a £12 million ride to replace the Corkscrew at Alton Towers have been recommended for approval, despite protests from residents.

The attraction, billed as the "world's first roller-coaster of its kind", is to be built in the park's Ug Land and will open next year.

Residents and Alton and Farley parish councils have lodged official objections amid fears over the way it will look, noise nuisance and increase in traffic.

It has now been revealed that the ride – code-named 'Secret Weapon Six' – hopes to attract an extra 100,000 visitors to the theme park even though plans for a relief road, which have been in the pipeline for 20 years, have been abandoned.

Villagers have spent more than two decades fighting for a bypass to bring an end to gridlock in Alton.

However, Alton Towers's owner Merlin Entertainments Group has dropped the £15 million road scheme, claiming it is needed for only a few weeks at the height of the season.

The new roller-coaster will be at a track height of 20m, approximately 1.7m lower than the previous height of the Corkscrew.

The proposed track will be contained within the existing Corkscrew site, and will be partially enclosed within a building.

A report concludes that there will be no noise nuisance to families and the council's trees and woodlands officer has not raised any objections.

But concerns have been raised by the Council for the Protection of Rural England because the ride extends into protected woodland.

Thirty nine letters of objection have been submitted.

Opponents argue that it will be in the vicinity of an Iron Age hill fort, which should be protected. They have called for a detailed archaeological survey.

A final decision will be made by district councillors at a planning meeting on Thursday.

A report states: "The Local Plan recognises that Alton Towers is a major national and international tourist attraction whose growth has brought important economic benefits to the area. It is considered, on balance, that the proposed development will not result in adverse intrusion at the peripheries of the site, and will not detract from the amenity of nearby residential properties."

Alton Parish council chairman Tony Moult said that although the ride was being built on the site of the Corkscrew, it would encroach into woodland and closer to the village. He fears it will set a precedent for further development.

An Alton Towers spokesman said: "Our key objective was to provide a replacement roller-coaster that will have a minimum impact on its surroundings.

"We take our responsibilities to the natural environment of Alton Towers very seriously."