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Public exhibition set for Embo next month on Coul Links golf course plan


By Ali Morrison

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Communities for Coul (C4C) is to hold a public exhibition next month as its plans for a world-class golf course and environmental project at Coul Links move to the next stage.

The group lodged a pre-Planning Application Notice (PAN) for the project with Highland Council on June 19.

Course designer Bill Coore, of Coore& Crenshaw, with a group of visitors at the site of the proposed course.
Course designer Bill Coore, of Coore& Crenshaw, with a group of visitors at the site of the proposed course.

A previous bid to develop a golf course on the Coul Links site was rejected by Scottish Ministers in 2020 and C4C said the exhibition will highlight how it has responded to concerns raised then in developing its new plans.

Visitors will have the opportunity to make their own comments on the proposals - and questions will be followed up in an online presentation in late August.

C4C, a not-for-profit company set up by a group of local people in the Dornoch Firth area, submitted a scoping application to Highland Council earlier this year.

The group says a key aspect of its proposal is a comprehensive plan to restore and protect the Coul Links Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) on the shores of the Dornoch Firth.

It says as well as protecting the wild coastal environment, the development would economically transform the area, creating much-needed employment for local people and enhancing its reputation as a golf destination.

The group’s submission of a PAN notifies the local authority of C4C’s intention to submit a full planning application in due course.

A spokesman for C4C said: “We have worked hard with our new team to review the concerns raised by Scottish Ministers in the previous application.

“We are excited by the changes and firmly believe we can deliver a world-class golf course that will benefit our local area and sustainably improve the environment at Coul Links.”

The exhibition will take place at the Community Centre in Embo, from 3-7pm on Wednesday July 27.

C4C will also be using its website: www.communities4coul.scot to keep people informed about the progress of its plans.

A community ballot held by Communities for Coul last year demonstrated a high level of local support for our plans, with a 69.2 per cent vote in favour and a 44.4 per cent turn-out.

The exhibition will take place at the Community Centre in Embo, from 3-7pm on Wednesday, July 27.


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