A MAJOR project to boost coastal defences at one of the county’s most scenic spots and “help preserve” North Berwick Golf Club has been given the go-ahead by councillors.

Plans for the “refurbishment of existing coastal defences” across the full length of the club’s historic West Links were approved by East Lothian Council’s planning committee at a meeting in Haddington.

The scheme – intended to “combat the rate of coastal erosion” – includes the repair of 150 metres of rock armouring and timber revetments; the installation of soft rock sand bags within a 380-metre-long ‘dune protection system’; and the planting of marram grass at various locations.

Nearly 1,000 tonnes of additional rock armouring will be installed in front of the existing timber revetment wall between the course and the foreshore.

A report submitted to the council said that the work, covering more than 70 hectares of land on the northern edge of North Berwick Golf Club, would “address erosion issues” and “help preserve the existing course layout”.

The application site is described as comprising “the interface between the North Berwick Golf Course and the shoreline and extends from the western side of North Berwick Bay westwards to Broad Sands for the full length of the West Links Golf Course”.

A public exhibition explaining the club’s plans was held by its consultants EnviroCentre Ltd earlier this year, with the vast majority of completed questionnaires supportive of the plans.

Councillor John McMillan, Provost of East Lothian and spokesman for tourism and economic development, said at the planning meeting: “From the site visit I would commend the club for the way that they explained how it would all work. It was very informative and I have no hesitation in supporting this.”

Councillor Stuart Currie, SNP Group leader, added: “It is important that this work is carried out and maintained. Coastal erosion is something that right down the coast will suffer from.”

After a brief discussion, members supported their planning officials’ recommendation to grant planning permission.

Access to the beach will be affected “for a short time”, according to a council planning official.

A spokesman for EnviroCentre said they were “very pleased” that planning permission was granted.

He also explained more about the work, stating it would consist of the “reinstatement of the timber revetment and rock armour at the second hole”.

Marram grass will also be planted along areas of the coastal fringe “to mitigate against the risk of further degradation”.

Marram grass is also to be planted at four beach-to-course access points to mitigate against the risk of further erosion, while there are also plans to reinstate the sand dune to the west of the Eel Burn by the 11th hole through the use of soft rock sand containers.

It is anticipated that the work will start in October and take about eight weeks to complete.

North Berwick Golf Club – the 13th oldest golf club in the world – was founded in 1832.