Falkirk MP backs call to halt golf club land sale over compensation row (2025)

A tribunal found that John Easton had been sacked unfairly but the compensation has still not been paid

Falkirk MP Euan Stainbank has backed a trade union's calls for Falkirk Council to stop the sale of land to a golf club whose greenkeeper was sacked unfairly and is owed £22,000 in compensation.

The GMB is once again asking Falkirk Council to stop the sale of land to Braes Golf Centre until the club and its owner, Stephen Matthews, pay compensation to former greenkeeper John Easton.

Mr Easton, who cared for the course for 19 years, is owed £22,000, after an Employment Tribunal found that he had been dismissed without justification or notice.

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GMB Scotland says the club, in Maddiston, and its owner have been ignoring legal letters.

The union has previously asked Falkirk Council to pause the sale of the 2871 square metres of land to the club, which was agreed in January 2023, for a price of £20,000.

Falkirk Council said at the time that it would be an "improper consideration for the council to halt the sale on the basis of the dispute in which it has no involvement".

But the GMB disagrees and has now written to Falkirk Council's chief executive - copying in all councillors - calling for the sale to be paused, while revealing that golfers are already using the council-owned land for car parking.

The union has also questioned the status of the access road to the club and asked the council to establish ownership.

Robert Deavy, GMB Scotland senior organiser, said: “We have no wish to punish the members of Braes but had hoped they would have encouraged the club’s owner to do the right thing.

“That has not happened so we have asked the council to ensure its land is not being used by golfers to park cars without permission.

“If councillors care anything at all about workers’ rights then they will immediately halt this deal with this club at this time.

“The owner’s behaviour in this matter has been reprehensible and, until he pays his debts, his club and its members deserve no favours from council tax payers.

“He is not only dragging his own reputation through the mud but that of every decent-minded member at Braes.”

Matthews, a businessman and property developer, took over the club in 2019 before sacking Easton, the head greenkeeper, without warning two years later.

Easton, who had maintained the course for 19 years, had just reported back to work at the club, formerly Polmont Golf Club, in Maddiston, after being furloughed during the pandemic.

An employment tribunal in 2022 heard no reason was given for his sacking and ruled Easton, 64, was unfairly dismissed and awarded him £22,000 compensation.

The award included a 25% uplift because of Matthews “wholly unreasonable” failure to follow employment rules ensuring redundancies are justified.

SNP MSP Michelle Thomson has previously offered her support to the sacked greenkeeper and has called on the club "to do the right thing".

Euan Stainbank, who was a councillor before becoming Labour MP for Falkirk last year, helped vote through the sale two years ago but says the club’s refusal to pay compensation is a material change and that he fully supports GMB’s campaign.

Mr Stainbank said: “If I had known when voting to approve the sale of this land that more than two years later it would not be concluded and the purchaser owed thousands of pounds to an employee unfairly dismissed, it would have been a material factor in my decision.”

The MP joined Mr Easton and union members protesting at the club’s opening day last month.

Mr Easton said: “I worked at this club for almost 20 years and know the owner’s actions do not reflect the character of the place.

“I still hope he will do the right thing. The members don’t need this kind of attention or deserve this kind of reputation.”

Accounts filed by Ordhead, Matthews’ company, earlier this year suggests it has capital and reserves of £1.8 million but no employees.

Falkirk Council said there was no change to its previous position, which is that while it understands the importance of the tribunal's decision, "the Council’s lawyers respectfully disagree with the stated GMB view and, on the basis of the information before them, consider that it would be an improper consideration for the Council to halt the sale on the basis of the dispute in which it has no involvement".

Braes Golf Centre has been contacted for comment.

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