A driving range in a Moray town will swing to a new location after construction commences on two major housing developments.
Springfield Properties have been granted permission to build nearly 200 new homes either side of Birnie Road on the outskirts of Elgin.
The work is scheduled to begin on the sports site towards the end of next year. The existing driving range will have 114 houses and 20 flats built on it.
On the other side of the road, 31 houses and 14 flats and a playpark will be created to complete the Duncanshill development.
Work to build a new practice area next to Elgin Golf Club, including a driving range, less than a mile from their current site, has already begun.
The land was originally earmarked for a bypass, but when that project was aborted, it was set aside for housing as the population on the south of the town continues to boom.
This week, Moray Council’s planning and regulatory services committee unanimously backed the two developments on the south side of the town.
Springfield Properties land manager Robert Grant explained that care had been taken to ensure the new homes fitted in with nearby developments.
He said: “We are very pleased with the decision to grant planning permission for both our driving range site and for the last remaining part of our successful Duncanshill development.
“We are looking forward to realising these properties in a great location next to Elgin Golf Club and continue building on the success of our adjacent developments.”
A total of 28 objections were received by council planners about the two proposals. Concerned locals feared a rise in traffic being routed through their community with another 2,500 homes already proposed for the area as part of Springfield Properties’ masterplan for Elgin South.
Changes made by the housing firm to ensure only cyclists and pedestrians could get into the new estate from Troon Place won favour with the council’s transportation team.
Committee members were told by chairman Chris Tuke that the driving range would be built in one phase according to customer demand.
Forres councillor George Alexander said: “The council will be one of the biggest customers for this. We will be buying these houses, so we will be wanting them built first.”
