Group clarifies golf plan stance

The Courier, 13 February 2004

St Andrews Community Council has suggested that an East Neuk councillor may have got his wires crossed when discussing its views on the proposed seventh public golf course planned by St Andrews Links Trust.

In explaining in a story in The Courier earlier this week why he and two of his colleagues on Fife Council could not become involved in decision-making nor debate about the multi-million pound plans, Councillor Peter Douglas, spoke of the position of St Andrews Community Council.

He stated that he “noted that elements of St Andrews Community Council, or perhaps more specifically, their planning committee, are opposed to the application.”

However, responding to the East Neuk member’s comments, community council secretary Pete Lindsay yesterday made it quite clear that that was not the case and he wished to set the record straight.

He added, “I must correct the mistaken impression put forth by a member of the St Andrews Links management committee, Councillor Peter Douglas, of the position of the community council on the seventh golf course application.

“The position of the community council was exhaustively debated at its monthly meeting on January 5 and in a series of formal votes the four principal points of objection were agreed by large majorities”

Mr Lindsay pointed out that members voted 13-0 (with three abstentions) that the application is premature before the green belt is established, and 10-3 (again with three abstentions) that the trust’s proposal does not comply with national policies on development on the coast.

He added that the community body also voted 10-3 (two abstentions) that the case for a new course is an amalgam of statistical and legal arguments, neither sufficiently detailed to be persuasive, and decided by 7-2 (with six abstentions) that the predicted traffic figures are poorly assessed and likely to be serious underestimates.

Mr Lindsay continued, “Councillor Douglas should have noted that only a small ‘element’ of the community council support the uncritical acceptance of the current seventh course application.

Councillor Douglas (Crail, Cameron and Kemback) had been explaining that he and Councillor Bill Sangster (St Andrews Central) are members of St Andrews Management Committee, while Councillor Frances Melville (St Andrews West and Strathkinness), chairman of the east area development committee, is a member of St Andrews Links Trust.

As a consequence, they were each debarred from attending a recent departure hearing on the application, and also from the planning decision.