Three months ago, Highland councillors voted narrowly in favour of granting planning permission for an 18-hole golf course development on a protected nature site – Coul Links. This decision was against the advice of their own planning officer’s recommendation and an objection from NatureScot, the national nature conservation agency.
But quick as lightning nature lovers from across Scotland and the UK rallied in a bid to stop this disastrous decision. Along with our Conservation Coalition partners, RSPB Scotland asked you to help, and in the space of a few weeks over 11,000 emails were sent to Planning Minister Joe FitzPatrick, asking him save Coul Links.
This phenomenal response appears to have influenced the Scottish Government to promptly call-in the decision. Planning reporters have now been appointed to consider the case and make a recommendation to Ministers, who will make the final decision.
A Dark Green Fritillary butterfly on Tufted Vetch at Coul Links (Alison Searl)
As we await the Scottish Government’s next steps, we still need to make our views heard. To help with that here are some key points which you might like to include in a letter to your MSPs, MP or your favourite newspapers, to keep minds focused on the need to protect this important wildlife habitat.
You can find your MSPs’ details here.
Coul Links – key points
Do let us know if you decide to contact your politicians or the media – we’d love to hear what they say. You can contact us at campaigns.scotland@rspb.org.uk.
Update 26 March
The Scottish Government’s Planning and Environmental Appeals division (DPEA), which is now considering the Coul Links application, has written to all objectors and supporters, including those who took part in our recent e-action. You don’t have to respond, unless you are a big fan of planning procedures! The planning Reporters considering the application will see all the correspondence that has been sent already. It’s great that the views of over 11,000 people who used our template to write to the planning minister are being considered. RSPB Scotland and our Conservation Coalition partners will be following proceedings closely, and we will keep supporters informed of what happens. Objectors’ and supporters’ details, including names and postal addresses, are included in the documents on the DPEA website. If you’d rather your details were not published, you can ask the DPEA to remove them. Contact information is provided in the letter from the DPEA. The main purpose of the DPEA letter is to advise of a pre-examination meeting on 13 May to discuss the next steps in the process and ask whether people want to take part in further procedures, such as hearings, written submission or full inquiry sessions. The meeting will also be available online here for anyone to watch. Thank you again for your support as we once more try to #SaveCoulLinks.
Main image (c) Alison Searl