Confusion over golf proposals

Michael Alexander, The Courier, 18 June 1999

A special Fife Council hearing convened to consider the three proposed multi-million golf developments for St Andrews ended in confusion last night when one of the applicants claimed that his planning application contained within the council papers was not an updated version he had recently submitted to officials.

Dundee-based business man Michael Johnston told the meeting that he was now prepared to reduce the density of his outline application for a 430-acre site at Feddinch, on the south side of town, and said he had submitted the relevant papers and charts to the local authority some time ago.

He said his proposals for an 18-hole championship course, high quality timeshare units, sports and leisure facilities were now a “radical departure” from the original plans - ensuring the committee that he had taken on board local concerns and that the complex would boost the Fife economy and create a “world class asset for the millennium.”

But many councillors, officials and members of the public were left scratching their heads when it emerge that these proposals were not the same as the outline application lodged in the papers handed out prior to the meeting.

Mr Johnston confirmed his original plans had featured 600 holiday units, 350 conference suites and a 150/200 bedroom hotel.

But he indicated that this had now changed somewhat and thought the council were aware of this. It was not made clear how extensive these changes were. As Mr Johnston insisted that he had submitted the relevant paperwork well in advance of yesterday’s meeting and said he had an acknowledgement from Fife Council’s head of planning David Rae to prove it, Fife Council Strategic Development Committee chairman Bill Brand, looking somewhat flustered by this turn in proceedings, said it was not possible to discuss plans which were not before them.

Since Mr Johnston was the final speaker, the meeting was subsequently brought to a hasty close so that the status of the planning application could be confirmed.

In all, 31 speakers addressed the packed meeting in St Andrews Town Hall which lasted five and a half hours and also considered the other proposed golf developments at Kingask and Scooniehill.

The purpose was to give applicants, developers, objectors and representees the opportunity to be heard prior to the applications being submitted for final determination by the strategic development committee on July 7.

Among the opposition groups were St Andrews Community Council, St Andrews Preservation Trust, Scottish Natural Heritage, the St Andrews Green Belt Forum and a plethora of individuals who pleaded with the committee to take on board their views.

Although each application had its own specific circumstances, the main objections were fears that development would cause untold damage to the character and heritage of St Andrews, that increased traffic would cause gridlock on an already congested St Andrews town centre, and that an influx of people staying at the complexes with residential units would put untold strain on an already overburdened Madras College and St Andrews Health Centre.

Commenting on the outline planning application for two golf courses, a clubhouse, leisure facility, 80 residential units and a golf academy at Scooniehill, St Andrews International Golf Club chairman Fred Dalgarno claimed that many of the objectors’ comments were unjustified.

Stressing the landscape and architectural merits of the Scooniehill complex, he said traffic plans had been discussed and agreed with Fife Council - despite the absence of any documents for councillors or the public - and claimed that the development would create 120 construction jobs, 107 full time jobs on-site, as well as a possible 120 further ‘spin-off' jobs. He said landscape improvements would also benefit wildlife, the public rights of way over the hill.

St Andrews Bay Development Ltd spokesman Victor Hamilton also tried to correct what he described as “misinformation” concerning the Kingask project.

With the detailed plans including a 208 bedroom hotel, conference centre, accommodation, spa, leisure club and two golf courses, he, too, said that this development would create many permanent jobs and said they wanted to enhance the coastal environment, not destroy it.

The three applications will now be considered by the Fife Council east area development committee in Cupar on June 29 before being decided at a special meeting of the strategic development committee on July 7.