Second thoughts on street revamp

The Courier, 6 November 2004

A representative of the St Andrews World Class Project has conceded that the initiative should not have given its backing to controversial proposals to carry out major environmental improvements in one of the town’s principal thoroughfares.

The surprise admission came during a presentation by business woman Lindsey Adam to members of St Andrews community council on the progress of St Andrews World Class - designed to ensure that the town fulfils its potential to become a world-class destination.

Scottish Enterprise Fife and Fife Council are planning a £750,000 environmental improvement scheme in South Street between Bell Street and Church Street. Its aims are to allow improved pedestrian movement and include widening and upgrading both pavements, resurfacing the carriageway, installing new street lighting and felling an avenue of mature lime trees and replacing them with another species.

Ms Adam said, "The current proposals to change the look of South Street have been the subject of some controversy.

"With hindsight, these proposals should not have been badged as being part of the St Andrews World Class Project. Truth is, we were not sufficiently knowledgeable about the South Street plans at the time to have endorsed them. However, we do support the overall aims of the upgrading proposals.

"We have learned from our mistake. In future, full consideration will be given to every project which is submitted to the World Class initiative."

Earlier, Mike Robinson, head of Fife Council’s local services in the east area, said that the presentation of the proposals "had been a problem," including inaccurate comment in the Press, which it was now attempting to correct.

However, he made it clear that St Andrews World Class had "no intention of being a quasi tourist board," and was only interested in raising the standard of St Andrews.

In response to claims that the initiative’s aims were "a slight" on the provost and townspeople of the past, he said, "St Andrews is a wonderful town, but we can do better in the services we give to local people and visitors."

Mr Robinson, who said he believed that St Andrews is not being run to "a world class standard" at present, also made it clear that St Andrews World Class would act to endorse projects considered to be "world class."

He also emphasised that the initiative would welcome comments from individuals and groups in St Andrews.

There was criticism of the name, St Andrews World Class, by Dr Ian Goudie, convener of the community council planning committee, who said that it "does stick in the gullet."

However, Ms Adam said that the “world class” terminology was purely for ‘internal” use - for those involved with the project in and around St Andrews and Fife - and visitors to the town would not be aware of it.

She said, "What is under consideration, however, is the creation of a single brand image for the town which would be suitable for use by a wide range of businesses and organisations."

Ms Adam said that one of the early successes of the project had been the "bringing together" of the four operators of the various golf interests in and around the town - St Andrews Links Trust, the St Andrews Old Course Hotel Golf Resort and Spa, the St Andrews Bay Golf Resort and Spa and the Kingsbarns links - who are collaborating for the first time in joint marketing.

"‘They realise that, although they are in some ways competing with each other, they are also allies in using, and benefiting from, the world-famous name of St Andrews,” she said.

However, the links trust will not have a director in the proposed new World Class company, although it will ‘remain closely involved in the project itself,” a spokesman said yesterday.

According to the latest publicity material, the St Andrews World Class vision has been developed by a group of local business people concerned that the town should not “rest on its laurels” and who recognise that it requires to continually “raise its game” to meet the ever improving standards set by today’s world-class locations.

The vision has been endorsed by Fife Council, the Kingdom of Fife Tourist Board and Scottish Enterprise Fife and it has been emphasised that consultation will play a key role in the process.