A TENNIS club has been temporarily barred from holding matches at its new base by council planning chiefs.

Holcombe Brook Sports Club was issued with a stop notice on April 15 on all activities there until work on a nearby road has been completed.

This has forced the club to hold its home matches at other venues.

Members had been enjoying the club's new facilities just 600 yards from its old site, off Longsight Road, but following complications with roadworks, activities have been brought to a halt.

The stop notice has been issued as a result of roadworks in Longsight Road, currently being carried out by a company appointed by the club, not being completed by the date of April 10 set by Bury Council.

Alan Lord, a member of sports club's management committee said: “We have to wait for a couple of weeks now until the roadworks in Longsight Road are completed before any matches can be played at the club.

“We accept that the council makes the rules and we have to follow them, so we are making use of the two courts at the old site 600 yards away and Bury Grammar has been extremely good to let us hold Bolton League games at the school.”

A spokesman at Bury Council said: “When the sports club was granted planning permission for its new facilities, there were several conditions. The club had to have completed the works on the highway (Longsight Road and Hazel Hall Lane), access route and pedestrian footpath to the club and car park before they started to use the new clubhouse and tennis courts.

“These conditions were put in place in order to ensure the safety of drivers travelling along Longsight Road and visitors to the sports club.

“However, the clubhouse and tennis courts were being used although the works are still being carried out which, among other issues, is narrowing the road and hampering visibility.

“This is in breach of their planning conditions, and as such we have issued a temporary stop notice to cease the use of the tennis club to protect drivers using Longsight Road and Hazel Hall Lane and to maintain highway safety.

“We would urge the club to comply with the planning conditions and complete the necessary highway and associated works before using the club.”

The club has been described as an ‘asset to the community’ and is made up of a modern pavilion building and nine courts – six of which are lit.

* The club will find out today if it will be granted an alcohol and entertainment licence.

Bury Council’s licensing hearing panel will meet at 1.30pm in Bury Town Hall.