Heritage watchdog halts work at G-West golf course

Feb 5 2010 Perthshire Advertiser Friday

CONSTRUCTION of an exclusive golf course near Gleneagles has been bunkered after a heritage watchdog threw a spanner in the works.

Ochil Developments (UK) Ltd has been ordered to stop removing heathland turf from Blackford farmland to roll out at G-West’s championship fairways, after Scottish Natural Heritage flagged up unauthorised works.

It emerged yesterday that progress on the golf course – the jewel in the crown of the £500 million luxury resort – could be severely handicapped and its opening delayed unless Perth and Kinross Council gives the turf project the nod.

Following an SNH tip-off, the council has sought confirmation from Ochil that removal of materials from Tarneybackle Farm – which should have received planning consent – is already underway.

A SNH spokeswoman told the PA that the dry heath donor site, or “lowland heather moorland”, is classed as “biodiversity action plan habitat”, and that work is subject to planning permission.

After swiftly grounding the project, Ochil yesterday lodged a planning application seeking approval to transfer 4856sqm of dry heath and heather from the farm to the nearby G-West course.

The application features a survey report by David Bell of ecological consultancy ECOS, in consultation with SNH, who assessed the Blackford site on behalf of Ochil to review flora and fauna issues.

The developer estimates the removal of turf to the golf course will take one month, with full restoration of the farm donor site completed in two and half years.

However, Ochil’s planning and development consultants Iain Gotts Associates have written to the council insisting the operation must be done during winter.

The consultants said: “The applicants are very hopeful that permission will be secured soon enough to complete the ‘translocation’ works before the conclusion of this winter, otherwise considerable delay could have knock-on effects relative to the date of opening the G-West golf course”.

A copy of the report had also been shown to the Scottish Environment Protection Authority, which “so far have expressed little interest due to the considerable distance between the proposed works and the closest water course”.

Meanwhile, PKC has ruled that before turf works can recommence, Ochil must secure agreement with SNH.

“There shouldn’t be a problem if it is done properly and the developers are, we think, already working on plans to restore the habitat afterwards,’’ the SNH spokeswoman said.

Ochil, whose managing director is Auchterarder businessman Duncan King, is building a top-class residential and golf resort at the 650-acre G-West site, including properties worth over £3.5 million each.