UKC

Coul Links is a beautiful, natural coastal dune system, home to many species of wildlife. It is located to the south of Loch Fleet in East Sutherland, Scotland. Coul Links is one of the last areas of undeveloped species-rich dune habitat in Scotland.  

Ironically, some American millionaires plan to build an actual links there, a golf course. Everyone has objected but the Highland Council has still supported the proposal which is baffling. I've been here and it's an amazing place. Even if you have't had the chance, I hope you will get a sense of how fragile and important this place is, and you will find time to object using the link in this article.

https://tinyurl.com/coullinks

In reply to Frank the Husky:

"Everyone has objected but the Highland Council has still supported the proposal which is baffling."

Unfortunately that seems quite normal for Highland, who cares about wildlife if there's a chance one or more jobs might be created?

In reply to Doug:

Obviously it's not baffling at all. I guess I put myself in the position of someone on the council and see it as a no-brainer...as you say, Highland Council are a bunch of short sighted politicians who don't really care.

In reply to Frank the Husky:

I thought a Site of Special Scientific Interest meant something, such as the area was protected. Seems not to be the case which begs the question,"Why bother designating and area as an SSSI if it gives no special status or protection?"

 

Dave

In reply to Frank the Husky:well done raising attention on this .  This appears  incredibly short sighted

 

In reply to Tringa:

See also Trump International Golf Links and the destruction of the Foveran Links SSSI:

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/nov/08/trump-golf-course-has-ruine...

https://scottishwildlifetrust.org.uk/news/snh-review-status-foveran-links-s...

Highland Council is probably just short-cutting the planning enquiry which the Scottish Government would no doubt have ordered had permission been denied at local level.

For some reason, even though golf courses and clubs are failing and closing all over Scotland (three have shut down in my neck of the woods in south Edinburgh in the last few years - one had only opened in 2006 and closed ten years later), councils still seem to think that allowing people to destroy natural habitats in order to build more of them is a good idea.

https://www.scotsman.com/sport/golf/scottish-golf-clubs-need-to-tackle-brut...

In reply to Martin W:

The Scotsman piece makes for an interesting read particularly concerning the demographics of golfers. I don't suppose the current POTUS is helping widen its appeal to those under-represented groups either.

Unfortunately any decline in golf, and subsequent closure of courses, is unlikely to result in destroyed habitats being restored: in this regard even open cast coal mining has a better track record.

In reply to Tony Jones:

I guess these new developments are looking more at golf tourism, selling 'shortbread and whisky box' images of Scotland whilst destroying the rare and delicate natural resources for everyone else.

Frankly I'm delighted, as per the Scotsman, that the rich retired conservative rule makers in the typical clubs are destroying their own business model... the sooner women, kids and working age ordinary folk get a better deal, and rich male pensioners lose cheap weekend privilege, the better, for the future of golf and society as a whole.

In reply to Offwidth:

As a past captain of a golf club, I couldn’t agree more - the sooner we get rid of the old farts of the “jaguar, jacket and tie” brigade, the better. Fortunately, our club understands this, and does it’s best to move forward.

In reply to Frank the Husky:

Trump and Co are like fisherman.  Dangle a few worms on a hook with the false promise of food and a better life and all the greedy and gullible come running.  And all you end up with is a golf course.

 

 

In reply to Frank the Husky:

Has Highland council given a reason why they approved the application? It should be borne in mind that a council is limited in the reason available to it in rejecting an application. They may have preferred to reject it but were unable to find the grounds to do so.

In reply to Frank the Husky:

Email sent.

Really, it amazes me that these fights still need to be fought.