Proposals for £25m golf complex unveiled

The Courier, 23 November 2001

New proposals for a multi-million pound golf and leisure complex development on the outskirts of St Andrews have been unveiled by St Andrews International Golf - nine months after its controversial plan for a £25 million golf scheme at nearby Scooniehill was turned down following a public inquiry.

The company is drawing up the new proposal for a similar development on a 370-acre site at Mains of Feddinch, which is located less than a mile from the Cairnsmill Caravan Park and in close proximity to the Scooniehill site, but on the opposite side of the main A915 from St Andrews to Kirkcaldy Road.

Preliminary details of the new plans were heard at a packed meeting of Cameron Community Council when three representatives of the company attended to give a presentation.

Outlining the proposals for Mains of Feddinch, spokesman Ewan McKay explained that It was planned to create two 18-hole golf courses, a clubhouse, 50 accommodation units comprising 10 three-bedroom suites and 40 two-bedrooms suites, and a five-acre practice area.

He said that the golf courses were proposed for farmland, while the clubhouse together with the accommodation would be located in the area of the farm steading. The accommodation units would be on the footprint of the clubhouse.

Mr McKay said that the new plans showed a reduction from 80 to 50 accommodation units compared with the Scooniehill scheme.

He said, “There will be no question of excessive visual impact from St Andrews, no new build in the countryside and little loss of prime agricultural land. In terms of the clubhouse we intend to build a state-of-the-art fitness centre, including a swimming pool.”

Questioned during the meeting over the doomed St Andrews Golfing Society’s £9.5 million Gateway development on the entrance to St Andrews - it still lies empty 18 months after going into receivership - which spectacularly failed after its membership drive attracted only £49,000 of the hoped for £1.5 million, Mr McKay stressed that his group would not gamble.”

He said he was “sorry that it did not work at the Gateway,” but also pointed out that it developed the building before any memberships were sold.

He said, “We are coming from a different point of view and we will not gamble. We need a £7 million guaranteed income to make it work and if we don’t get it then we will not proceed.”

The company, he stated, was confident it could sell overseas memberships to the new venture and made it clear that the accommodation would be solely for club members.

Four classes of membership are proposed - an international category, a Scotland-wide section, leisure club membership and an associate membership, the latter running from November to April and similar to a timeshare project.

Mr McKay said that the company was building up a masterplan and would also be seeking meetings with other interested bodies in the future, including St Andrews Community Council and St Andrews Preservation Trust.

He also said that the company does not currently own the land at Mains of Feddinch.

Commenting yesterday, local Fife councillor Peter Douglas said, “In light of the difficulties agriculture is facing it may be that this kind of development is more acceptable than other alternatives.”

The company’s previous clans for the 459-acre site at Scooniehill were rejected earlier this year by Scottish Executive Reporter lain Lumsden following a week-long public inquiry.

He ruled that approval would contravene Fife Council policies, and in particular highlighted the planned clubhouse complex proposed in an area of great landscape value and on the skyline above St Andrews.

While accepting there could be tourism and economic benefits, he said that they were outweighed by the loss of agricultural land, development in the countryside and the protection of the landscape.

Fife Council’s east area development committee had previously refused the application for the development of two golf courses, a clubhouse, residential lodges and car parks. A previous application had also been turned down.

The Scooniehill plans met stiff opposition from local and national conservation bodies.