The fate of a £70m Tayside golf resort designed by Ryder Cup hero Darren Clarke should be known by June.
Angus businessman Mike Forbes was given the green light in 2010 to build the five-star, golf development, known as The Angus, near Wellbank and the Forbes of Kingennie estate, but has so far failed to break turf.
Mr Forbes struggled to find the right investment partner and was given a five-year time extension in 2016 which gave him two more years to secure a partner and a further three years to settle planning.
A “full blown final unconditional agreement” is now in place with New York-based First Capital Real Estate but the deal will not be completed by the end of April when the existing extension expires.
Mr Forbes applied for an extension of time in February for the purchasers to satisfy the conditions and progress towards commencement of development.
It is understood Angus Council will now seek to bring the matter before councillors for determination within four months due to the nature of the application.
Former 2011 Open winner Darren Clarke first stayed at the Forbes of Kingennie resort in 2007 and was enchanted.
Mr Forbes taught him how to fish and they formed a tight bond after they discussed how cancer had affected their families.
Clarke said: “When I first glimpsed the landscape where The Angus will take shape, I couldn’t help but feel I was somewhere Mother Nature intended for golf.
“It was a responsibility to deliver a project in Scotland, the home of golf.
“However, I am delighted with progress and believe The Angus will compare well with the best in Scotland, with the potential to become one of the finest golf courses in the world.”
The business case submitted with the original application indicated that the overall development was likely to generate £19.2 million in total revenue and create additional direct tourism expenditure to the Angus economy of £10m per annum.
It is estimated the development will create more than 130 new full-time jobs.
A spokeswoman for Angus Council said: “Golf tourism is a hugely important to Angus.
“In 2016 it was worth £20m annually and over 900 people were employed within the golf tourism sector.
“We are working closely with the local golf tourism businesses with the aim to grow this to £30m by 2022.”
Darren Clarke started playing golf at the age of 11 and earned his first victory in 1993 at the Alfred Dunhill Open.
A long-time member of the European Ryder Cup team, he defeated the legendary Tiger Woods to clinch his first PGA Tour win in 2000.
After overcoming the loss of his wife to breast cancer, Clarke won his first major title at the 2011 Open Championship.
