St Andrews residents group to '˜vigorously oppose' hotel plans

Robertson submitted a plans last week to build a 90-bed hotel and 100-bed student accommodation at Abbey Park, which would incorporate a 3500 sq.m. park.

Abbey Park Residents’ Action Group member Sandra Stewart described the plans as “corporate greed”, adding: “It’s game on.”

She noted a number of concerns over the proposals, from the park to the need for more student accommodation and a hotel.

“They claim they are meeting the need for a budget hotel,” she said. “However, we are aware of three other applications for hotels. And the only time when St Andrews is full is when The Open is on.

“The developers also say they are going to create a park. We pay for the maintenance of the land. Who will pay for the maintenance of this park?”

The group has the support of local councillor Brian Thomson, who can’t vote on the application due to a conflict on interest.

“I’m very disappointed as to how the former St Andrews Memorial Hospital and St Leonard’s Fields sites have been developed,” he stated. “What’s been developed to date, and what’s proposed, is not what was originally envisaged.

“Now that there is a significant amount of retirement flats on site, and with residents advising me the flats were marketed as being located within a quiet neighbourhood, their concerns about the proposed development is perfectly understandable.

“The development of the site is an example of bad planning, more about maximising profit for developers, rather than what’s best for the community.”