Planning permission has been given for a golf driving range to be built at a farm in Orkney’s West Mainland.
Orkney Islands Council’s planning committee met this morning to view the proposals and were quick to decide.
The plans came from Steven Wylie – known locally by his nickname, ‘Chopper’ –from Swartland Farm, Twatt, Sandwick.
While Orkney has a number of golf courses and access to practice nets, the driving range would be the only dedicated commercial range in Orkney.
Mr Wylie hopes they could be up and running by mid-to-late summer next year, but says we’ll have to “wait and see”.
He plans to build the four-bay driving range on a little-used section of his farmland.
He said the idea came from “getting hooked” on playing golf with his friends on Sunday mornings during the latter days of lockdown.
Proposals classed as ‘major development’
Mr Wylie’s plans also include toilets, car parking, and a “screening berm” – a raised section of land – on the site’s east side.
He plans to let people book hour-long slots at the driving range using an online booking system.
Normally, planning applications go to the planning committee when there has been an objection to the plans.
However, this hasn’t been the case with Mr Wylie’s project.
It saw no representations from members of the public.
While statutory bodies offered conditions and guidance, they didn’t object either.
As such the application was presented to the planning committee with a recommendation to approve from the council’s planning department.
However, Mr Wylie’s plans still had to go to the planning committee as they were classed as a “major development” under Scottish planning legislation.
This is due to the project being on a piece of land over two hectares.
Mr Wylie explained that this meant a lengthier and more costly planning process for him.
The process includes consulting with the public on the plans.
Not ready for the Island Games as hoped – but could open later in 2025
Whereas he had hoped the project would be up and running in time for Orkney to host the International Island Games in mid-July, this will no longer be the case.
Mr Wylie said the process had taken “much longer than he imagined”.
On the plus side, the extensive planning process meant the planning committee was given everything they needed to make a quick decision today.
At the meeting’s conclusion, councillor John Ross Scott said the range would be a “huge asset for sport in Orkney.”
The application was then unanimously approved.
Councillor praises plans as final decision on Orkney golf driving range plan is unanimous
After the meeting, Mr Wylie said: “I’m obviously happy because it’s been through and passed.
“We weren’t that concerned going into the meeting.
“Being lumped into the major development classification, we’d already done all the groundwork for the meeting.
“So, we just had to go in front of the planning committee, but that’s the process I supposed.”
Asked where the idea for the golf range had started, he said it came from his football team’s annual golf day.
“I dabbled with golf every year when our local football club had its annual golf day.
“My father sponsored that, so the prize was the Swartland Quaich.
“That’s been going for 25 years.
“Back in lockdown, when things got a bit more relaxed, me and a few friends ended up playing every Sunday morning.
“We got hooked.”
As part of his new passion for the sport, Mr Wylie played on the Scottish mainland and enjoyed using driving ranges.
Lockdown hobby led to idea for Orkney golf driving range
But there wasn’t anything like that at home.
“The closest thing we have is practice nets.
“So, I put the idea out amongst my pals but it was really something I thought I would pick away at and build myself.
“I looked into funding from places. I looked into the LEADER scheme but Brexit scuppered that so the project went on the back burner.
“Then the council came out with a farm diversification grant, so we thought we’d try that.
“So, the case file opened again.
“I put out a survey to get the mood on the island. The response was 90% positive – and the non-positive points were from folk who didn’t finish the survey when they saw it was about golf.
“So we rolled with it and thought we’d go for it.”
Would you be keen to have a go at the driving range? Let us know in our comments section below
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