Clock's ticking down quickly for decision on Coul Links golf bid
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The Scottish Government only has days left to decide whether to call in plans for a controversial world class golf course.
The links - opposed by a raft of conservation groups - were given the go-ahead last month by Highland councillors.
The Coul Links development, earmarked for a site near Embo in Sutherland, will destroy the integrity of rare coastal habitats, say the World Commission on Protected Areas (WCPA).
The panel is part of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
About 32 acres (13 ha) of the 18-hole championship course would be built on dunes at Coul Links.
Councillors voted to give the go-ahead to the controversial development despite officials recommending that it be rejected.
The golf course's developers, who include US businessmen Mike Keiser and Todd Warnock, say the environment would be protected by the project.
But a group of conservation organisations, including the Scottish Wildlife Trust, National Trust for Scotland and RSPB Scotland, oppose the project.
A spokeswoman for the Scottish Government said that "no decision" on whether to call in the application had yet been made and it was still under consideration. The due deadline to decide to intervene is the beginning of next month.
In the WCPA letter, committee chairwoman Dr Kathy MacKinnon said: "We have reviewed the detailed evidence-based objections by IUCN members the Scottish Wildlife Trust and the RSPB as well as the statutory objection from your own agency, Scottish Natural Heritage.
"As we said in our initial objection to the Highland Council, it is the view of the commission that if consent is given for this development it will destroy the integrity of rare coastal habitats and lead to irreversible biodiversity loss.
"This case is of significant concern to WCPA, particularly as Scotland, through the UK, is a signatory to the Convention on Biological Diversity and the UN Sustainable Development Goals, both of which include commitments on the protection of areas of high biodiversity value.
"The WCPA therefore urges you as Scottish ministers to urgently call in this proposal and defend this internationally-important nature area."
Coul Links developer Mr Warnock said: "We are ready to start work on the development after three years of scrutiny and having won the support of the local authority and the majority of local people.
"The democratic process has been comprehensive and fair.
"The project has been assessed by the two statutory bodies as well as the competent planning authority and we now look forward to realising the economic benefits such a prestigious golf course can bring to east Sutherland."
Jonathan Hughes from the Scottish Wildlife Trust, who is a UICN councillor, said: "If an overseas tycoon proposed converting Edinburgh Castle into a shopping centre the Scottish government would quickly step in to protect a national treasure.
"Coul Links is the natural heritage equivalent of the best of our built heritage and Planning Minister Kevin Stewart must surely heed international calls from IUCN's World Commission on Protected Areas to put a halt to this ruinous development."
In making their decision, the Highland councillors recognised the significant economic benefits the course will bring to east Sutherland and that extensive mitigation measures will be put in place to protect the environment.
Part of the 18-hole championship would be on a Site of Special Scientific Interest.
A petition against the course reached more than 89,000 - over six times the population of Sutherland.
But the Coul Links team says the golf course plans are supported by "an overwhelming proportion of the local population," and will provide a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, creating an estimated 250 new jobs and more than £60 million gross value-added during its first decade of operation.
Around 140 local businesses and organisations are said to back the proposal.
The original layout of the course, which could cost up to £10m to construct, was also revised in response to conversation groups' concerns.
In March, Sepa withdrew its earlier objection to the scheme after previous concerns were removed on the impact on dune slacks and hydrology.
