Green light for golf development access road

The Citizen, 8 October 2004

Plans to form an extra access on the A915 St Andrews to Largoward road for a proposed private golf course at Feddinch Mains have been voted in by councillors, despite road safety concerns.

Developers Aberdeenshire-based St Andrews International Golf Club (Feddinch) Ltd were granted outline planning consent for the development at the end of March.

Incorporated in the private course will be ponds and wetlands, a clubhouse with 40 two -bedroom suites and greenkeepers' store while the existing steading will be demolished and vehicle access and car parking will be formed.

The developers asked that an access on Balone Road - which was to be used by maintenance vehicles - be re-positioned on the A915. Fife Council's policy is against additional access points on unrestricted roads for road safety reasons and its transportation service opposed the extra access.

However, at a meeting of Fife Council's east area development committee, Councillor Peter Douglas, backed by Councillor Andrew Arbuckle, moved that that it be approved subject to appropriate conditions, and an amended condition regarding closure of the existing access.

Chair, Councillor Frances Melville, seconded by fellow St Andrews councillor, Jane Ann Liston, moved that the request be turned down and that access to the site be as contained in the committee's previous decision. However that was defeated by eight votes to three.

Carried by a narrow vote was Councillor Liston's further proposal - seconded by East Neuk Councillor Elizabeth Riches - that a requirement to provide shelters at the two bus stops serving the site entrance on the A915 be retained as detailed in the original consent.

In an update report to the committee, Nick Brian, team leader for east area, explained that the development would have no effect on the existing water supply pressure to Wester Balrymonth as had been feared by a resident.

Scottish Water said the golf course development would be fed from the Dunnicher 'Water Supply Zone' which feeds the high area to the south of Feddinch and extends as far as the development.

Wester Balrymonth was fed from the St Andrews zone via a booster pump and therefore totally separate, said Mr Brian.