Cross-party letter urges Scottish Government to ‘pay heed to the clear voice’ of east Sutherland residents in support of golf course at Coul Links near Embo
UK and Scottish ministers came together this week to express cross-party support for plans to build a championship golf course at Coul Links, near Embo.
In a letter to the Scottish Government, MSPs Rhoda Grant (Labour), Edward Mountain (Scottish Conservatives) and Fergus Ewing (SNP) joined Far North Lib Dem MP Jamie Stone to urge decision makers to ignore “automated objections” from large national organisations and to “pay heed to the clear voice of the people who actually live in east Sutherland”.
The joint letter of support follows hearings which took place earlier this month, conducted by Government reporters to look into the controversial proposal.
It is the second inquiry by the Scottish Government into a proposal for a golf course at Coul Links – after a previous application was rejected.
The latest proposal, from not-for-profit community group Communities for Coul, was granted planning permission by Highland Council’s North Planning Application Committee in December last year.
But the Scottish Government opted to call-in the application due to concerns over the “potential impact on nationally and internationally important natural heritage assets”.
The cross-party letter of support said the development was both essential and urgent for the socio-economic and environmental benefits it will bring to the area.
Highlighting the potential for £50m in private investment and 400 full-time sustainable jobs, it also backed the facilitation of the construction of 30 new homes as a result, half of which would be established as long-term affordable housing.
The latter noted that the area of east Sutherland had been “beset by significant socio-economic challenges for generations with chronic, ongoing depopulation and an ageing demographic.”
On the environment, the joint letter stated the belief that the proposal “offers a lasting solution for the restoration and protection of the SSSI (Site of Special Scientific Interest) at Coul Links”, and that under current management, the “protected features are being lost through neglect and the accelerating spread of invasive species.”
Ministers said that nearly 70 per cent of voters across the principal communities that would be impacted by the application backed the proposal in a poll organised by Civica, which was issued to registered voters in IV25, KW9 and KW10 areas.
The letter concluded: “In view of the increased emphasis the Scottish Government is placing on economic development, the Action Plan to Address Depopulation and the recently declared Housing Emergency we, the undersigned, who represent several constituencies in the Highlands, urge you to recommend approval of the application, which we believe is of national importance.”
The development has faced strong opposition from the Conservation Coalition, which includes a number of environmental organisations, as well as from other groups including Not Coul.
Campaign leaders for Not Coul, who attended hearings earlier this month, said: “The issues for east Sutherland at the Coul Links inquiry were clearly very important for everyone who attended and gave their very best to the planning process.
“We say that not only for Not Coul, but also for the applicants, the Conservation Coalition, NatureScot and all the local people who turned up to speak.
“The examination was a textbook example of how a well managed public-facing process should work.”
Greens MSP Ariane Burgess, another prominent voice in opposition to the proposal, said: “It’s no surprise that the Scottish Greens are the only party putting wildlife, nature and ordinary people’s access to this extraordinary landscape over the greed of billionaire developers.
“From objecting to the original proposals; to amassing more than 4500 voices calling for reconsideration; to joining the community at Embo last week to speak out against these plans, I’ve been consistently working to support local community members campaigning against this completely unsuitable proposal for the second time in five years.
“We’ve already seen with Trump’s development at Menie the hugely damaging impact on nature and communities of bending to the will of US billionaires.
“It’s time to draw a line in the sand dunes, stand up for what truly makes Scotland special and put people and planet over profit.”
