Driving range nets to be brought up to par

Driving range director Mark Cumiskey: all planning conditions will be met

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A NEW driving range has promised to putt everything right this weekend after opening without meeting planning conditions.

The Pennine Golf Ltd driving range at Bishops Park, Grains Bar, opened last month. But it failed to erect netting to stop stray balls from one part of the grounds close to a popular bridle path.

Planning permission was granted subject to certain conditions being met first - one of which was a scheme to prevent stray golf balls going beyond the site boundary.

Mike Cumiskey, director of Pennine Golf Ltd, admitted that while the range has netting around most of its perimeter, the top end - towards which balls are hit — doesn’t. The unprotected area is near a path used by riders, dog walkers and ramblers.

Mr Cumiskey said netting will be fitted this weekend and all planning conditions will be met.

“If I thought people were at risk we wouldn’t be open,” he said. “Currently, for safety reasons, we do not allow customers to use woods or drivers. This is something we manage very carefully to ensure stray balls don’t leave our grounds — and they haven’t.”