Resignations after golf decision

The Courier, 8 December 2003

Plans from St Andrews Links Trust for the creation of a seventh public golf course have received a substantial but controversial boost with news that the St Andrews Green Belt Forum has decided not to lodge a formal planning objection.

It has also now been revealed that the forum is divided over the whole issue and that the decision was made on the narrowest possible margin - the casting vote of chairman Tony Jackson.

It was also made against the advice of the body’s own planning sub-committee and this has led to the immediate resignation of the “seriously disappointed” sub-committee chairman, former forum chairman Professor Terry Lee, and two other members of the sub-committee.

There has been considerable debate in St Andrews, and in some of the national golf press, about whether there is a need for a new course.

The links trust has steadfastly maintained that pressure on the existing courses leaves it with no other option, but sections of the local golf and business community feel an independent economic impact study should be obtained.

Earlier this year Mr Jackson made it clear that the links trust’s environmental statement would have to justify expansion.

He said issues to be tackled would relate to use of undeveloped coastal land, transport and explicit consideration of a green transport plan.

The trust would also, he said, have to set out the economic case and justify the requirement for additional capacity.

At the weekend Mr Jackson said the forum had received detailed arguments and views relating to the proposal and that its committee is aware that the subject has aroused considerable interest from sources well beyond the confines of the local communities affected.

The forum had been concerned to ensure that the views of the representatives of its constituent bodies were fully taken into account.

“The green belt forum and its committee consists of representatives from the St Andrews Preservation Trust, the local community councils and other bodies and individuals who are all committed to the implementation of a green belt to preserve the landscape setting of St Andrews,” he said.

He said a number of meetings of the full committee and of the planning sub-committee had considered information on this matter. Following the formal lodging of the application by the links trust, he said, the green belt forum put arrangements in place to consider both the application itself and its environmental statement.

“The full committee of the St Andrews Green Belt Forum met on Friday night to consider a report from its planning sub-committee prepared by Professor Terry Lee.

“This report recommended that objections should be lodged to the application by the St Andrews Links Trust for permission to develop land at Brownhills Farm for the purpose of a golf course.

“After a detailed discussion, in which there was full participation by the committee members of the green belt forum present, it was decided not to accept the recommendation of the committee’s planning subcommittee.

“The St Andrews Green Belt Forum will not lodge an objection to this development.”

Yesterday Mr Jackson made it clear that he did not want to reveal precise details of how the vote went, but The Courier has learned that his casting vote was in fact decisive.

Mr Jackson said that there had been a divisions between town and country and between golfers and non-golfers.

He said that there had been a very good debate, with contributions from several speakers, and in relation to the decision made he said his own personal opinion was that the details of the sub-committee recommendation did not fully reflect the views of the forum. On that basis, he said, he had not personally supported the proposition.

Yesterday Professor Lee, who has consistently been in the forefront of debate about development in and around the town, and the creation of a green belt, said he had now tendered his resignation as the sub-committee chairman.

He was “seriously disappointed” over the decision itself and the possibility that there could be golf development right along the coast from St Andrews to Boarhills.

Two other members of the five-strong sub-committee, Penny Uprichard and Jenny Hopgood, also said at the weekend that they were resigning.