'Golfers will turn back on Rotherham over tip plans'

Grange Landfill Ltd has been granted an Environmental Agency permit for 205,000 tonnes a year at a tip off Droppingwell Lane, Kimberworth.

The land is next door to Peter Cowen Golf Academy and manager Nick Huby said: “This will be a nightmare.

“We have some of the world’s top players here. We had Danny Willett, number nine in the world, and Matt Fitzpatrick, number 32, down. 

“They said it was just unbelievable when they saw the story in the Advertiser last week. They’ve said this is going to put them off coming. 

“Thirty yards from where some of the best golfers in the world are training will be lorry after lorry after lorry coming to tip waste.

“It will have an enormous effect on us. It will be a catastrophe, not just for golf in this community but golf in the north of England.”

The permit is a renewal of one granted in 1978. It allows 150,000 tonnes of inert waste plus 55,000 more for restoration.

Nick said: “We heard absolutely nothing from the firm before this was granted. It’s just outrageous. 

“There are under eights, under tens, under 12s here all the time. We can have 80 kids a week. Will their parents want them coming here with the tip reopened?

“That’s the irony. We’re providing something to keep kids active, healthy and get them outside and off their PlayStations, but this is going to stop them coming here.

“There’s not only us, there’s Millmoor Juniors next to us that’s trying to do the same thing and get children involved in sport.”

A petition on change.org calling for the tip to be closed has been signed by more than 420 people. Find it by searching “Droppingwell”.

Nick said: “We want as many people as possible to sign the petition and putting the pressure on to stop this nightmare happening.”

Grange Landfill Ltd did not respond to the Advertiser’s request for comment.