Now organisers are wanting to give thousands of visitors a free tour of the countryside before they even get there.

It emerged today that show bosses want anyone attending next year’s extravaganza via the M6 to be diverted out of their way to the proposed new show site on Duchy of Lancaster land in Myerscough.

Instead of coming off at junction 32 of the M6 and using the A6 to Myerscough, motorists will be directed to travel at least 12 miles out of their way along the M55.

The route will then take cars and coaches to the Kirkham roundabout, up to Windy Harbour and through the rural villages of Esprick, Greenhalgh, Great Eccleston and St Michael’s before finally arriving at the showground.

It will also take vehicles along the busy A585 – an accident blackspot notorious for traffic gridlock.

Today, community leaders and villagers branded the detour “ridiculous”.

The proposed site for next year’s show has already proved hugely controversial with locals close to Myerscough fearing traffic meltdown if the Duchy site gets the go-ahead.

Eddie Brennan, 80, who has lived in St Michael’s-on-Wyre for 20 years, said: “It will create a nightmare, there’s no two ways about it, it’s bound to be chaos.

“They hold a car boot sale between the village and Myerscough College and it is absolutely packed there as it is.”

Coun Ken Hudson, for Preston Rural North, said: “It is ridiculous – totally unacceptable to the rural community.

“While the probably support the show they certainly don’t want their lives and businesses disrupted.”

A spokesman for the Duchy said: “It’s a route which has been devised by the police, county council highways and the Highways Agency to keep traffic flowing.

“This approach is already common practice and a methodology used to manage large-scale events in other locations, such as Tatton.”

The Duchy wants to relocate the show – which regularly attracts 60,000 people – to Myerscough in 2008, 2009 and 2010.

Plans for the move have been submitted to Wyre Council this week and a consultation process will begin next week.

The application will go before Wyre’s planning committee in the new year.