Golf project takes new turn

The Courier, 7 November 2003

Developers behind plans for a multi-million pound golf and leisure project on a rural site near St Andrews have made another move in their bid to obtain planning consent.

The International Golf Club of St Andrews has lodged a fresh planning application for the 244-acre site at Feddinch, to the south-west of the town, in a development which might remove the need for a full-blown planning appeal and a public inquiry.

The applicants have already lodged an appeal with the Scottish Executive on the grounds that the local authority had not determined the application within the statutory timescale.

In the meantime, however, a sizeable majority of members of Fife Council's East area development committee have indicated that they would be likely, once remaining issues have been resolved, to grant planning permission.

They did not accept the view put forward by a planning official that there could be road safety problems, and that the application is premature in light of the fact that the land concerned is likely to be included in the St Andrews green belt.

As a result of that discussion, what is called a 'parallel application' has been lodged with the council, and if this is determined within the normal committee process, the planning appeal could be withdrawn.

The proposals for Feddinch involve the creation of a new golf course, clubhouse, accommodation, leisure facilities and a greenkeeper's store.

The local councillor, Peter Douglas, has already made it clear that there have been no objections from the local community council or from local residents.

He said that people living in the vicinity of the proposed site were strongly in favour of the application.