Westbury will get a new golf driving range in the new year thanks to two businessmen who are transforming a former town landmark.

Derek Hulin and Shaun May beat off bidders to snap up the old Lafarge social site in Coach Road, Westbury, for £1.5 million in the summer of 2009.

On purchasing the land the businessmen vowed to improve the site, which is now called White Horse Country Park.

The park, which already included a nine-hole golf course, fishing lake, bowling green and land for a miniature railway, as well as 233 acres of farmland and residential and equestrian properties, will soon have a 12 bay driving range after planning permission was approved by Wiltshire Council.

Mr Hulin hopes the range will be open within six to eight months.

He said: “The kit should have arrived this week but because of the weather it’s been held up but after Christmas we will start construction.”

The 300-yard driving range will be located between the first hole of the existing golf course and the miniature railway, which is owned by West Wiltshire Society of Model Engineers.

The driving range will be fully automated and include toilets, storage facilities and flood lighting.

Mr Hulin, a former Westbury town councillor and owner of groundworks contracting business Carpleton Ltd, also revealed the partners’ other ambitious plans for the site.

“We’re also in the process of extending the golf course to 18 holes,” he said.

“However we want to make sure there’s a need for 18 holes because there are golf courses closing down all over the place. It’s usually because they are too expensive – we want to make our course affordable to all.

“We are also putting forward planning permission for a golf shop and fishing shop.

“Then we want to extend our existing fishing lake.”