Backlash over plan for street upgrade

The Citizen, 30 July 2004

Controversial plans to uproot trees and introduce parallel parking in a busy part of St Andrews town centre has provoked a backlash among local business figures and townspeople.

The proposals - which are part of the second stage of a £1.35 million project to upgrade South Street - have yet to reach the planning stage, but there is already considerable opposition to the plans.

The project, which is being driven by Fife Council in partnership with Scottish Enterprise Fife, is the first major scheme to be undertaken as part of the St Andrews World Class Initiative, which aims to realise the town's full potential as a major tourist draw.

However, the latest stage of the project, which will also include work to widen pavements and upgrade the road from Bell Street to Church Street will ''spell the decline of the town centre," according to Ewan Sparks, a member of the St Andrews Merchants Association.

"I think it is as serious as that," he added.

"We have to fight our corner for this part - if they get away with it here they will get away with it along the rest of South Street and throughout the town centre. It is just not on."

The main worry among businesses in the town centre is the introduction of parallel parking, which will see the present parking capacity reduced by more than half. Traders are hoping that a reduction in the angle of the parking bays can be seen as a more sensible alternative to the present proposals.

Mr Sparks added: "Our greatest fear is that if you make the parking too difficult to use people won't be able to find parking spaces, so they will not bother visiting the town centre.

''The lack of parking will restrict the number of people who can just nip into town to pick up some messages."

However, Derek Crowe, area transportation manager with Fife Council, indicated that parallel parking is being introduced to St Andrews as part of a major policy objective.

He explained: "Vehicles currently clutter the South Street area. We want to reduce car trips into the town centre and are trying to use the streets better than they are currently being used.

"This is not just a self standing project but part of a larger parking management solution to help St Andrews in the long term."

Mr Crowe also addressed concerns over removal of trees in the area, an issue which has provoked strong criticism locally.

"Some of the trees are no longer healthy and they are causing damage to the pavement and road because of uncontained root growth," he said.

"We want to plant trees in containers which is a well accepted and common technique. We need a high quality standard of tree." Mr Crowe added: "We have a design proposal which we think will be long lasting and will serve St Andrews in the short and in the long-term.

''St Andrews World Class is trying to provide something which is sustainable over the decades." Despite these reassurances, there is outright suspicion over the latest stage of the upgrade, not least because of what has been perceived as a lack of adequate consultation over the proposals.

Urging people to lodge any opposition they may have over the plans with Fife Council, St Andrews Central Councillor Bill Sangster said: "Owing to the very poor public consultation procedure carried out by Fife Enterprise and Fife Council on this issue, the citizens of St Andrews are only now getting to know the full implication of what is proposed."