A company which offers expertise in rope access is set to expand into the wind energy market after seeing turnover double in a year.

Access Inspection Development (AID) offers training, equipment supply and rope access operations from its headquarters in Carleton Rode, near Attleborough, and a training centre on the Harfreys Industrial Estate in Great Yarmouth.

The company works on improvements to large buildings, including office blocks and hospitals, removing the need for costly scaffolding.

Recent contracts have included training work with Anglian Water and GE Oil & Gas, and the company has become an approved training provider for communications infrastructure and media services company Arqiva.

It also won operational work with Sanctuary Housing at its Addenbrooke's site, and unfurled a giant Children In Need banner outside The Forum in Norwich earlier in the month.

The company's equipment supply arm has seen trade increase by about 15pc in the current financial year.

The training operation, based at a training centre on the Harfreys Industrial Estate in Great Yarmouth, has also been 'incredibly busy', with courses fully booked for the past eight months.

Jonathan Batchelor, commercial director, said: 'We are on target to double turnover in the current year, from about �250,000 last year to nearly �500,000 this year.

'This is due to growing awareness of the rope access industry and what we can do.

'We are looking at expanding our staff and premises, and will be looking for new commercial premises in the Wymondham area as we need bigger offices.

'Training and operational business really growing staff.'

The company is also planning to provide specialist work at height training for the burgeoning expansion of wind energy, including thousands of turbines planned off the East Angilan coast.

The turbines are maintained and cleaned using rope access, offering huge scope to deliver training in rope access, particularly given Yarmouth's reputation as an offshore energy centre.

Mr Batchelor added: 'The potential in wind energy is massive.'

Managing director Tjebbe Roestenburg said: 'I am very pleased with the company's performance over the last 12 months given the difficult financial climate.

'I am backed by a great commercial and operational team whose hard work this year has been reflected in our figures.

'As we move into 2011 I am confident we will maintain our current growth as we take on the challenges of emerging market sectors such as wind energy.'

In addition to other buildings, the company is also offering quotes for work on churches, which can face insurance cost hikes if scaffolding is erected because of the increased risk of lead theft.