Golf Environment Organization

Islandikane Golf Development, Garrarus, Co Waterford – In granting permission for a proposed golf course and tourism development within the Mid-Waterford Coast SPA (Special Protection Area) on Ireland’s southern coastline, Waterford County Council has massively disregarded the principles of sustainable development and failed to fulfil its obligations under existing legislation and international environmental agreements.

Ireland, like the rest of the European Union, has committed to halting the loss of biological diversity by 2010 as a fundamental step towards future environmental and economic security. With barely six months to go, a significant effort is required if Ireland is to reach this target. For a site as sensitive as the Mid-Waterford Coast SPA, designated for the protection of rare birds such as the chough and peregrine falcon, the failure of Waterford County Council to insist upon sustainable golf development runs directly contrary to Ireland’s EU commitments and its responsibilities under the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity.

The Islandikane SPA (Special Protection Area) is recognised as being of particular importance for birdlife such as Red-billed Chough (pictured) and Peregrine Falcon. © Punkbirder

Waterford County Council’s decision is even more unfortunate and ill-considered given the fact that Ireland was condemned by the European Court of Justice in 2007 for failing to properly implement EU biodiversity strategies and not taking necessary steps to protect the chough.

Furthermore, despite the fact that the developer has proposed to follow the principles of the Golf Environment Europe ECO Management Programme (now superseded by the Golf Environment Organisation certification scheme) and apply for accreditation, the development design and assessment process has run contrary to those principles, by selecting a protected area for development, failing to act on the advice of government scientists and leading environmental experts, and by assuming that any negative impact can be overcome by future mitigation measures.

Mr. Jonathan Smith, CEO of the Golf Environment Organisation (GEO), outlines its position on certification: “The earliest that a golf facility can register with GEO Certification is at the growing in-stage, which in the case of Islandikane could be years away. Any facility which has legal challenges or planning appeals hanging over it will not be able to register, and a facility which fails to follow best practice or does not respect the integrity of a site of European nature conservation importance is also unlikely to be eligible. In any event, a proposal to apply for certification in no way constitutes an appropriate mitigating measure for environmental damage, and should not be given material consideration in the planning process.”

While GEO appreciates the intrinsic value of dramatic cliff top golf, and the great potential that creative golf planning and design can have in many contexts, we believe that in the modern day, harming fragile assemblages of rare species and habitats is not acceptable. The technology and expertise exists to create great golf developments that avoid environmental conflict and deliver true environmental and economic gain, but that requires adaptation of the development model to specific site conditions, and respect for fundamental social and environmental values.

The Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government has formally objected to the development proposal, highlighting the sensitivity of the site and stating: “the Islandikane area has been identified by the chough survey team as being of particular importance for choughs within the proposed SPA…….The area is host to a large comunal roost……… the developers own survey team recorded 127 choughs on site in one visit. Research has shown that choughs spend 78% of their time within 300 metres of the coast. The proposed golf course would run the entire length of the coastline within the development site…for over two kilometres. At some points associated buildings appear to be within 160m of the main communal roost…..For these reasons this Department has serious concerns regarding this proposed development. Therefore, we recommend that planning permission should not be granted for the proposed development in its present form.”

Mr. Conor Kretsch, a technical advisor on biodiversity and ecosystems for GEO, says the decision to grant planning permission is bad for the environment, and bad for golf: “Appropriate golf development can support nature conservation planning and thereby provide significant benefits to local communities, the economy and the environment, but only where every available option has been taken to guarantee the conservation of local biodiversity, and respect the integrity of protected areas and ecosystems. As with any development, it must be a case of the right project in the right place at the right time. By co-operating with the Department of the Environment and BirdWatch Ireland, rather than resisting them, there could be ample scope for a developer to incorporate sustainable golf development with nature conservation objectives at Islandikane. It is a shame that such initiative has not been shown, that the current design and approach to planning is contrary to the principles of sustainable golf development, and that Waterford County Council has failed in its remit.”

The decision of Waterford County Council has been appealed to the Irish Planning Appeals Board (An Bord Pleanála) by a number of local residents, environmental organisations, and the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government. The decision of An Bord Pleanála is due to be finalised by 8th September 2009. It is to be hoped that the board will acknowledge Ireland’s commitments to international environmental targets, uphold the principles of sustainable development, and send a message that golf developments need not, and should not, conflict with the aims of nature conservation. As the 2010 biodiversity target approaches, now is not the time to be pursuing unsustainable economic growth at the expense of protected areas.

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