Forum under fire over golf course decision

Michael Alexander, The Courier, 17 December 2003

St Andrews Green Belt Forum has “not enhanced its reputation” by deciding not to object to plans from St Andrews Links Trust for the creation of a seventh public golf course on the outskirts of the town.

This was claimed yesterday by two former members of the forum’s own planning committee who resigned last week along with former forum chairman, Professor Terence Lee, In protest at the decision.

As revealed by The Courier last Monday, St Andrews Links Trust’s plans for the creation of a new golf course on land at Brownhills, to the south-east of St Andrews, were given a substantial but controversial boost with news that the Green Belt Forum had decided not to lodge a formal planning objection.

It was also revealed that the forum is divided over the whole planning 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 committee and this had led to the immediate resignation of the “seriously disappointed” planning committee chairman and the two other members, Penny Uprichard and Jenny Hopgood.

There has been considerable debate in St Andrews, and in some of the national golf Press, about whether there is 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, tourism and business community feel an independent economic impact study should be obtained.

Yesterday Miss Uprichard and Mrs Hopgood reiterated their disappointment at the way the green belt forum had handled the application.

Miss Uprichard said, “Last week it was reported about the decision by a meeting of the forum to turn down the recommendation of its planning committee. An excellent paper by its chairman, Professor Terence Lee, had suggested that an objection should be lodged to the proposed new golf course of the Links Trust. The purpose of the meeting was to assess and if necessary amend this paper.”

Chairman Tony Jackson said, “It is inappropriate for the forum to lend its name to a document which appears to include statements that can readily be disputed, if it wishes to retain its integrity.”

“It is rare to find planning documents, and in particular objections, which do not include statements that can be disputed. If this is to be the forum’s policy, it seems unlikely that it will ever lodge another objection. Applications by developers also contain a host of statements that “can readily be disputed”. The Links Trust’s seventh golf course application is no exception.

“The forum’s integrity may be better retained if it follows its first objective - to preserve for the benefit of the public the character of the landscape setting of St Andrews. By failing to object to this golf course development in green belt, which includes parking for 90 cars, a restaurant, clubhouse, shop and chancing rooms, and a maintenance building 58 x 35m long, the forum - which is more or less evenly divided between those sympathetic to developers and those supporting the environment - has not enhanced its reputation.”