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Scottish Government sets agenda for November hearings into controversial Coul Links golf course application





The date is fast approaching for a series of hearings into the controversial proposal for a championship golf course at Coul Links, near Embo.

The public hearings are due to start at Clashmore Hall, near Dornoch on Monday November 11 and will last for five days. An evening session will be held a Embo Community Centre.

Kidney Vetch, Coul Links and Embo Beach. Picture: Andrew Weston
Kidney Vetch, Coul Links and Embo Beach. Picture: Andrew Weston

Meanwhile the Scottish Government’s Planning and Environmental Appeals Division (DPEA) has published the finalised agenda for the main topics of the inquiry.

This will allow both the developers - Communities for Coul (C4C) - and the objectors to prepare their responses in time for the hearing sessions.

The Scottish Government reporters who will conduct the public inquiry are David Buylla and Stuart West.

There will be a total of five sessions on environmental issues and one session examining the socio-economic case for the development.

Scottish Government reporters will be looking for hard evidence of the promised economic benefits and the likelihood of the golf course stemming the exodus of young people from Sutherland.

There will be two hearings on the opening day, the first looking at the impact on the sand dune habitats - the golf course is proposed to go partly on a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI).

The second hearing will focus on the likely impact on important bird species, and the applicant’s proposed mitigation measures.

On Tuesday the inquiry will focus on the impact the golf course could have on rare butterflies and other insects, including the Fonseca’s Seed Fly, a species found nowhere else in the world.

A second hearing on the same day will hear evidence on the impact on species of interest including vascular plants, lichens, bryophytes, fungi and dune juniper.

There will be a hearing on Wednesday, November 13, when reporters will concentrate on the likely impact of disturbance and habitat loss on the Dornoch Firth and Loch Fleet Special Protection Area (SPA) and Moray Firth SPA.

The inquiry will continue on Thursday, November 14, focusing on the tourism and socio-economic aspects of the project.

Stakeholders will give evidence on the demand for golf, the projected socio-economic benefits of the proposal, the importance of clustering (golf courses) and the likely impact of a new championship golf course on the demographics of the area.

Members of the public are welcome to attend the hearing sessions. and observe proceedings, which may be webcast and available to view on the dpea website. A decision on the development is expected early next year.


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