Datong reported that the two levels of government failed to strictly control and illegally granted land, and 81 acres of arable land were transformed into golf courses
In September and November 2022, the Ministry of Natural Resources publicly supervised four cases of land violations. On August 30, 2023, in accordance with the Measures for Supervision and Public Notification of Illegal and Non compliant Cases by the Ministry of Natural Resources, the Ministry of Natural Resources announced the investigation and handling results of four cases, the first of which was the illegal occupation of land and construction of a golf course by Longde Real Estate Development Co., Ltd. in Datong City, Shanxi Province.
The notification content is as follows:
The golf course project of Datong Longde Real Estate Development Co., Ltd., also known as Shanxi Datong Tulin Ecological Tourism Sightseeing Park, is located in Xingsheng Village and Jianpu Village, Dangliuzhuang Township, Yunzhou District, Datong City. Construction began in August 2012 and by November 2014, the underground facilities of the West and East stadiums were completed, covering a total area of 954.51 acres, including 81 acres of arable land, 1.85 acres of rural roads, and 871.66 acres of unused land. The stadium has not been put into operation. After the merger and acquisition of Datong Longde Real Estate Development Co., Ltd. in January 2017, the Yunqi Agricultural and Health Tourism Ecological Leisure Sports Project was constructed on the original stadium site. The golf course has not been investigated and rectified in accordance with relevant requirements until the investigation in July 2022, when the characteristics of the golf course were not completely eliminated. At present, the involved stadium has been banned.
The Datong Municipal Government and enterprises have drafted a cooperation framework agreement and inspected the introduction of projects. The executive meeting and special meeting of the Municipal Government have decided that the original Datong County Government will implement and promote the preliminary construction of the project, but there are problems with lax supervision and inadequate supervision. From August 2010 to November 2014, the former Datong County Party Committee and County Government included golf course projects in the construction of ecological sports parks through land transfer through special meetings of the County Party and Government, executive meetings of the County Government, county mayor's office meetings, and special meetings. Although they studied and abolished the provisions related to golf courses and signed a new supplementary agreement, they did not stop the relevant construction in a timely manner, resulting in the fact that golf courses illegally occupied land and constituting illegal approval of land use. In addition, there are problems such as inadequate cleaning and rectification of golf courses in Yunzhou District, and illegal occupation of land by Datong Longde Real Estate Development Co., Ltd.
The Shanxi Provincial Department of Natural Resources has organized an investigation and clarified the handling opinions:
Confirming that the minutes and documents of the relevant meetings of the Datong Municipal Government and the former Datong County Party Committee and County Government regarding golf courses are invalid, and confirming that the agreements and supplementary agreements signed between the former Datong County Government and enterprises regarding the use of transferred land for non-agricultural construction are invalid, Datong Longde Real Estate Development Co., Ltd. shall use the transferred land in accordance with the law and regulations.
Order the government of Yunzhou District to govern the illegally occupied farmland of the golf course project and restore the cultivation conditions, return it to the collective economic organization, and ensure the use of agricultural land.
Dispose of illegal buildings in accordance with the law and regulations.
According to the management authority of cadres, the problem clues shall be transferred to the disciplinary inspection and supervision organs for accountability in accordance with the law and regulations.