‘Massive miscommunication’ results in old artificial turf left at Cullen
Register for free to read more of the latest local news. It's easy and will only take a moment.
A "massive miscommunication" is said to have resulted in waste material from an artificial pitch sitting at a golf course on the Moray Firth.
Rolls of plastic turf from the old all-weather playing field at Buckie High School have been left at Cullen Links Golf Club since the end of last year.
The material is now breaking down and particles are being blown onto the nearby beach, leading to fears that it could damage the environment.
Moray Council states the club asked for material from the Buckie pitch, and its storage is a matter for them.
However a spokesperson for the club maintains they only agreed to take a small amount in order to repair roads at the course.
The spokesman said: "I think there’s been a massive miscommunication with this.
"We have it minuted from a meeting in June last year that we would get 90 square metres, not the amount that was left.
"At no point did the committee ever agree to take that amount of artificial grass – the whole football pitch was dumped.
"We are trying to get rid of it, and we’d really appreciate help from the council with that.
"This is going to cost us money."
The spokesperson added that the committee received no paperwork from the local authority in relation to the delivery of the artificial turf.
A spokesperson for the council said: "Cullen Golf Club requested to re-use artificial grass from the Buckie 3G pitch refurbishment on areas of the course and received material for that purpose.
"The storage and use of the material is a matter for the club."
Councillor Sonya Warren (Buckie, SNP) stated she was "surprised" the waste material is at the links course.
The former chairwoman of Moray Council’s education, children’s and leisure services committee presided over the decision to replace the Buckie pitch at a meeting in November 2021.
At that time members also decided to sign up to the Sports for Climate Action initiative, to make sure artificial pitch developments are carried out in an environmentally-friendly way.
Cllr Warren said: "It’s understandable that there's considerable concern from the public regarding the plastic grass and the detritus coming from that.
"It had been agreed at committee that the plastic grass would be appropriately recycled.
"However I do understand it is good to re-use materials where appropriate .
"I have asked council officers for assurances that any future operational changes for 3G pitch upgrades are fully considered under council policies and strategies."
When the go-ahead was given to replace the Buckie pitch a maintenance programme was agreed for the all-weather playing fields at four other secondary schools – Keith Grammar, Speyside High in Aberlour, Milne’s High in Fochabers and Elgin High.
