A TOP tennis club has been saved after controversial plans to relocate it were passed — despite a volley of objections from neighbours.

Holcombe Brook Sports Club is to build a £1.8 million tennis complex on green belt land, off Hazel Hall Lane. Its current base, in Longsight Road, will make way for a care home.

Bury’s planning committee granted permission at a meeting on Tuesday night attended by more than 200 people.

Club secretary Tony Lawson previously said the club could fold if drastic plans for change failed.

The club formed in 1926 and its players compete in top nationwide contests, with some of its youngsters representing their country.

Its clubhouse needs costly major repairs and volunteers had been searching for a long-term solution to safeguard the club’s future since the early 1990s.

McCarthy and Stone Retirement Lifestyles can now demolish the clubhouse and build 55 flats for the over 60s.

Cash from the sale of the land will pay for the new centre, which will have eight tennis courts, six of which will be floodlit.

It will also have a clubhouse with parking for 76 cars, a mini-tennis area and a practice wall. It is set to open sometime next year.

After the meeting, Mr Lawson said: “We are delighted. This means the club is saved.

“Our youngsters — the future generation of our club — will benefit from this and it will be a wonderful community facility. We’re on a high now.”

Eighty-six people formally supported the Hazel Hall lane proposal, while 207 objected.

At the meeting, Eileen Bibby, of Fairview Drive, said: “The vast majority of local residents do not want the development.

“It would set a dangerous precedent for building on green belt land in this area. It is an important area for bats.

“This is a private club, not a community facility, and it would bring traffic problems.”

Planning officers had recommended the application be refused, but the committee voted in favour of it because the club, they ruled, demonstrated special circumstances.

An alternative proposal for the club to move to another green belt site, off Summerseat Lane, was refused although it was recommended by planning officers.

A total of 93 people formally supported the Summerseat Lane proposal, while 232 objected to it, mainly because the narrow lane could not cope with extra traffic.

At the meeting, Cllr Sam Cohen, said: “The officers seem to have got this the wrong way round. Hazel Hall Lane is much more suited for this.

“How can people object when people complain about this country’s inability to produce British tennis champions and then stand in the way of this club’s aim to produce future champions?”

The care home plan for Longsight Road was backed by 48 people and raised objections from 170 people.

At the meeting, neighbour John Allen said: “The construction of a three-storey block of flats is totally out of character with the current building stock.

“The 24 parking spaces set aside for it isn’t enough and it will cause parking problems.”

A council highways officer said the minimum legal requirement for this development was 19 parking spaces, so the application had ticked all the boxes.