Path closure attempt stopped in its tracks

Gordon Berry, The Courier, 22 May 2002

The organisers of this year’s Dunhill Links Championship have failed in their bid to enforce closure of a section of the Fife coastal path when the competition is held in October.

Members of Fife Council’s east area development committee were yesterday unanimous in their view that a planning application from Kingsbarns Golf Links for reconsideration of two planning conditions relating to the course should be rejected.

The committee felt the footpath’s route should not be interrupted for the sake of the tournament.

The view from officials, and around the table, was that responsibility for safety lay with the event organisers.

As reported in The Courier yesterday, there has been considerable local opposition from residents, and from Klngsbarns Community Council, to the proposals.

The organisers had claimed walkers were in danger from wayward balls and that the path was in a dangerous area.

It had also been stated that if the site was open for general access there could be minor problems of vandalism or even a major one in the form of a potential terrorist threat.

However, the committee was told by senior planning official Nick Brian that the application, if successful, would result in closure of not only the coastal path but also an alternative inland route.

Referring to safety issues raised by the tournament organlsers, Mr Brian said the same concern was raised last year and the weather had been so bad during the tournament that few people used the path.

He added, however, that the matter had been dealt with by way of stewardlng, and in his opinion that would again be the solution.

The issue was not just the coastal path and the alternative route at Kingsbarns, said Mr Brian. If the application was granted a link in the continuous coastal walk would be broken.

He also pointed out that in any event the public would be able to use the beaches alongside parts of the golf course.

Support for refusal of the application came from local councilior Peter Douglas, who acknowledged that the issue of safety was a serious one.

He added, however, that the same questions had been raised at another site where cyclists were exposed to people hitting golf balls, and in that case the insurers involved had concluded that there was “no risk at all.”

He said that there was no reason at all why the path should be closed, and he too said that the situation could be controlled by efficient stewarding at the course.