A PROPOSED golf driving range, measuring 100ft wide and 11ft tall, on land next to the Strawberry Field in Lyme Regis has been given the green light by town councillors.

Wednesday's planning committee gave the plans from Lyme Regis Golf Club the go-ahead, on the condition that the steel roof was painted green, and the wooden structure stained to soften the outline of the building, which would be built on protected land in a designated area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Coun Stan Williams said: "People retire to Lyme Regis to extend their lives, they need exercise.

"I'm not a golfer but I have lots of friends who are, and they are getting quite elderly. It's good for them to get some fresh air.

"They should be able to have their enjoyment along with the youngsters and their skateboard park.

"Everyone fell over themselves to give them a skate board park."

Coun Ken Dibben agreed, saying the design looked almost like a farm building, which would be in keeping with the area.

And Coun Lorna Jenkin said the golf club suffered with fog, and this would give golfers more space to play.

Coun Peter Bean wondered what time of day the range would be in use. He said: "We've got to watch this a little bit."

Coun Dibben said: "The balls will go so far down the hill, you'd have to have some fairly massive lights to light it up."

He added that there was car light pollution all along the road anyway.

Only Coun Spencer Hogg had reservations about the range - he said he knew the council should support the application, bearing in mind the council supported the football club's failed application to build a timber clubhouse in the neighbouring field, but he felt uneasy about the design of the driving range.

He said: "I'm a bit horrified by the dimensions. We've got a building that's 100ft long, 33ft wide and 11ft tall.