SNP ministers are facing pressure to block plans for a golf course on a protected Highland beach after a Scottish Government policy change forced a halt to an inquiry.
The proposals to build an 18-hole course at Coul Links – a dune system near Embo in Sutherland – were called in by SNP ministers last year after the Highland Council’s approval sparked anger from major conservation groups including RSPB Scotland, National Trust for Scotland, and Scottish Wildlife Trust.
Coul Links is a triple-protected site, forming part of the Loch Fleet Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), the Dornoch Firth and Loch Fleet Special Protection Area (SPA), and the Dornoch Firth and Loch Fleet Ramsar site – meaning it is protected under the 1971 international Convention on Wetlands.
On Wednesday, the Scottish Government published an updated policy on Ramsar sites – effective immediately – which steps up protections, including by mandating a Habitats Regulations Assessment (HRA) for any developments affecting Ramsar sites.
Government agency NatureScot says that a HRA must show “beyond reasonable scientific doubt” that a project “will not adversely affect the integrity” of a Ramsar site, or it must not be allowed to go ahead.
The policy change came six months after the public inquiry essentially came to an end, with evidence submissions closed and Scottish Government planning reporters assessing the case since January.
However, submissions for evidence have now been reopened instead, to allow for consideration of the policy change. This process will take at least four weeks.
There is currently no HRA listed among the 1126 documents relating to the Coul Links case on the DPEA website. The Scottish Government did not respond when asked whether the development could go ahead without one.
American entrepreneur Mike Keiser is set to step in and lead the development if permission is secured by the Communities for Coul group (C4C).
The group was created after initial plans, spearheaded by American entrepreneur Todd Warnock, were blocked by Scottish ministers in February 2020, who ruled that the proposals would have “significant” impacts on nature.
C4C have since publicly led on revised plans they claim will be net-positive for the Ramsar site, and contribute between 270-400 full time jobs and £8-12 million per year to the economy.
A spokesperson said they believed the Ramsar site policy change would "not negatively impact on the outcome of our planning application".
“As local residents, everyone involved in Communities for Coul knows Coul Links intimately and cares passionately about its environment and wellbeing. That is why sustainable and properly funded measures to enhance the habitat at the site have always been central to our application," C4C said.
The Scottish Greens said that the policy change to better protect Ramsar sites means that the SNP must block the golf development.
Highlands MSP Ariane Burgess told The National: “I am delighted to hear that the Scottish Government are taking steps to protect nature here in Scotland.
“It is now up to ministers to use their powers to keep our precious and unique habitats that provide homes for rare threatened species thriving and free for the people to enjoy, rather than handing them over to become private playgrounds for the wealthy.
“Coul Links sand dunes are very rare habitats, with a variety of vegetation and species dependent on them for their survival. This includes endangered birds on the Red List such as curlews and warblers.”
She added: “East Sutherland is already well served by high-quality golf courses. Promises of investment and jobs must be balanced with the urgent need to protect nature, including these precious habitats already at risk of loss through climate change.
"Coul Links is an area enjoyed by wildlife and by people. Its status as a Ramsar site must be heeded by the Scottish Government, and marked safe from these destructive plans for yet another private golf course."
