Golf course luxury lodges in line for approval
Brindleys Associates A luxury lodge development being proposed on the site of a former golf course in the Borders has been recommended for approval.
The Rutherford Park project - between Carlops and West Linton - has been reduced from more than 250 lodges to 79.
Developers said it would constitute an investment of more than £11m and create about 30 jobs.
More than 270 objections were received to the plans but Scottish Borders Council (SBC) is being advised to give it the green light.
The lodges would be built on the site of a former golf course in the region.
It closed in 2015 due to falling membership and plans to transform the area emerged soon afterwards.
Developers Sandy Lane Resort Rutherford Ltd said the plans aimed to attract visitors to a "frequently ignored" area by delivering "high-quality outdoor accommodation".
They said their plans had been revised to take into account the tourist market and community feedback.
However, SBC received a large number of objections citing a wide range of issues including its incompatibility with a rural area.
A report to the local authority said the reduction in its size made it more acceptable.
"The scale of the development is still recognised as being large within its rural context," it said.
It added that the reduced scale had resulted in a "sympathetic form of development" that was "compatible with the character of the surrounding area".
The report said that it could make a "positive contribution to the local economy and tourism offering".
It concluded that subject to a number of conditions on landscaping, finishes and drainage it could go ahead.
It will now be up to planning committee councillors to decide if it is approved.