244-acre golf development under scrutiny

Gordon Berry, The Courier, 26 January 2004

Proposals for a new multi-million pound golf and leisure development near St Andrews will come under the public spotlight for the first time at a meeting in the small rural community of Cameron later this week.

Plans from the St Andrews International Golf Club for a 244-acre site at Feddinch, to the south-west of the town, have already divided opinion in the area.

The project has also, however, been given a tentative indication of support from a sizeable majority of members of Fife Council’s East Area development committee who recently discussed the proposals in relation to a separate part of the planning process.

On Thursday, the applicants will outline their plans, and objectors and supporters will be given a chance to express their views publicly, at a departure hearing being held in advance of the full area development committee meeting.

Planning officials have prepared a report for the hearing, but at this stage they will make no recommendations either for or against the proposals.

This week’s discussion will Inform the eventual recommendation to the full committee.

Unusually there are almost as many letters of support as there are of objection, and significantly no opposition has come from Cameron Community Council.

The applicants want to create a new golf course, clubhouse, 40 luxury suites for the use of members, leisure facilities including a swimming pool, conference rooms, office accommodation and a green-keeper’s store.

The site lies close to the existing Duke’s Course at Craigtoun, and the applicants want to create a private golf club catering for both overseas and home-based members.

In a report for the meeting East Area development team leader Nick Brian has highlighted the Issues he sees as crucial, and they include national policy guidance, landscape and visual impact, nature conservation, transport and economic and tourism impact.

On the subject of tourism he said this is an important element to the economy of St Andrews, but also pointed out additional facilities should not compete directly with existing ones in a way that does not add to tourist sector viability.

He has also said, though, that the development is aimed at generating additional visitors who would take out club membership, and this in turn would have potential for a spin-off into the local economy.

Mr Brian has also referred to the ever-present green belt issue, and he said the development could potentially be prejudicial to the boundaries of the belt being defined during the forthcoming local plan process.

Objections to the proposal have come from St Andrews Community Council, the Architectural Heritage Society of Scotland, and the St Andrews Preservation Trust.

The community council has expressed the view that the development will have a serious detrimental impact on several important aspects of the infrastructure of St Andrews.

Backers of the project, however, have pointed out the most directly affected community council at Cameron is totally in favour of the application.

The meeting will take in Cameron Village Hall, starting at 7 pm.