Gateway deal yet to be signed

The Courier, 5 July 2002

A planned development at the spectacular Gateway Centre on the edge of St Andrews will not be in operation this month.

This was revealed yesterday when the expected operator, St Andrews Golf Holdings, said it had not yet signed a deal to proceed with a project to provide a 300-person conference centre, call centre, business centre and club.

The venture, to have French communications company Alcatel as a technology partner, was announced in February after the building was sold to Dundee-based Keiller Estates for use by St Andrews Golf Holdings.

It had been on the market at a knock-down price after being built for around £9 million then running into receivership problems.

Earlier this year, a spokesman for St Andrews Golf Holdings, Anthony Fry, said the new venture would create around 50 jobs, and include a call centre linking into 5000 information streams enabling people to gain information on all aspects of golf.

There was also to be a business centre providing a registered office for golf-related businesses, and ‘hot desks' for use by business visitors.

It was also emphasised that the planned museum and prestigious first port of call or the University of St Andrews would still feature and that there could also be an “orientation centre” for visitors to the town.

Mr Fry said yesterday St Andrews Golf Holdings was still involved with the Gateway, but had not yet completed a deal.

The plans, he said, were still the same, but over the last month financial markets had not been favourable. Mr Fry said he would like to think more information would be available in the next two weeks.

Keiller Estates chairman Bruce Linton was not available for comment.