There will be no golf course in Topilec near Białystok. Farmers who have their land here refused to sell it. The Mayor of Białystok, Tadeusz Truskolaski, who, as the head of the Białystok Functional Area association, wanted to build the field, declares that he respects this decision and withdraws from the investment. However, he does not give up on plans to build a golf course in the region, because – as he emphasizes – Podlasie is a blank spot in this matter.
– We are very happy. I hope that local government officials will not return to this topic again, says Henryk Zdanowicz, the owner of one of the agricultural plots in Topilec near Białystok.
When we talked to him in August, he was opposed to selling his land for a golf coursethat Tadeusz Truskolaski, the mayor of Białystok, would have seen in this area.
The golf course would be built on an area of 66.2 haMonika Błażko
More than 66 hectares were needed
The investor would be the Białystok Functional Area association, which brings together 10 local governments and is headed by its president. Tadeusz Truskolaski is also a golfer himself and he told us that the golf course in Topilec would be a perfect complement to the Golf Academy. That is, a training and recreation center being built in Zawady in Białystok, which is being built from the civic budget.
However, for the plans to come true, the investor needed over 66 hectares of land. The president attended a meeting with local farmers in December. Apart from one owner, who is also a golfer, no one has declared that he will sell the land. Farmers had until December 23 to make a decision. The president (and the commune's mayor, Grzegorz Jakuć) assured during the meeting that in the event of refusal, there would be no expropriation.
– Our decision is that no one, apart from our golfer neighbor, agreed to the sale – says Henryk Zdanowicz, quoted at the beginning.
They have their own agricultural plots hereMonika Błażko
There will be no expropriations
Tadeusz Truskolaski wrote on the X platform that since this is the decision, as announced, he is withdrawing from the investment.
“There will be no expropriation. We respect private property,” he emphasized.
Since the inhabitants of Topilec were not interested in selling the land for the golf course, as previously announced by me and the mayor Grzegorz Jakuć, we are withdrawing from the investment. There will be no expropriations. We respect private property.
— Tadeusz Truskolaski (@TTruskolaski) December 27, 2024
President: the commune has lost a big opportunity for development
When we ask him if he already has his eye on any other place where a golf course could be built, he says that he has no specific plans yet.
– Nevertheless, I believe that the Turośń Kościelna commune has lost a big opportunity for development – he notes.
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He also emphasizes that the golf course would not only create new jobs, but would also be an excellent promotion for the entire Podlasie region, which so far is a blank spot when it comes to golf courses.
– I still have four years of my term to change this – he says.
As he emphasized in December, since golf is an Olympic sport, the construction of the course can be financed from the Ministry of Sport.
They do not agree to sell their land Monika Błażko
Main photo source: Monika Błażko