VILLAGERS are to fight their neighbour's plans to build a golf driving range on their doorstep.

On Monday Sue Fox said she was worried for the safety of her young children if the plans were approved.

"They hope to attract golfers from 25 minutes away which will mean there will be a lot of strangers around," she said.

"There would be a car park near our garden wall and I would be worried someone could just lean over and grab my daughters."

Tory councillor Steve Wilkinson unveiled his vision for a driving range in March even though it is less than a mile away from Heyrose Golf Club in Pickmere.

Mr Wilkinson said his 20-year-old son, James, had spotted a gap in the market and wanted to build a 30-bay range off School Lane. Neighbours objected and the plans were withdrawn, but Mr Wilkinson has now submitted a scaled-down scheme. Yesterday (Tuesday) Mr Wilkinson said they had tried to address all the concerns. "We believe this is something new and something golfers want," he said.

"We have tried to respond to the views expressed by Macclesfield Borough Council's planning department and the local people."

The number of golfers' driving bays has been reduced to 24 and the number of parking spaces has been cut from 66 to 30. But Mrs Fox, who lives in Frog Lane, said she was also concerned about the proposed floodlights.

"It will look like the third runway here," she said.

But yesterday Mr Wilkinson said an expert had visited the site, which is currently a farmer's field, to design floodlights especially for him.

"We don't want to light the sky we want to light the ground," he said.

Knutsford councillors, meeting at the council offices in Toft Road, are expected to discuss the plans next month.