Green light for St Andrews West expansion

Planning permission in principle has been granted to St Andrews West Consortium LLP for the framework of the site, which includes around 900 homes, employment, business and retail space, a care home, and a hotel.

However, while the framework has been approved, the plan is split into numerous development areas, and a detailed application for each one will still need to come before councillors.

Members on the North East Planning Committee expressed a number of concerns about the plan, including the contribution from developers, the impact the development would have on traffic, and the reduction in the amount of land designated for employment use to accommodate the new Madras College.

The report to councillors explained that new lane markings and signalisation would be installed at the Old Course roundabout, West Port mini roundabout, the mini roundabout at Hepburn Gardens and Buchanan Gardens, and Guardbridge roundabout, to mitigate this problem. However, concerns were expressed about the impact the traffic could have on the B939, and the villages on that stretch of road. As part of the plan, the Strathkinness High Road will also be rerouted.

The report also stated that the developers would contribute to a six-classroom extension of Lawhead Primary School to cope with the increased capacity.

Cllr David McDiarmid had called for the application to be refused, after raising concerns about the impact the development would have on the ecology in the area. He wanted one section of employment land to be removed from the plan, in the North Haugh.

“It is an important ecological part of Fife,” he said. “We need to protect the things that are there. The more we build on it, the less chance we have of these creatures living there.” His motion got the support of two other councillors.

Nine of the 12 councillors at the meeting agreed that the application should be approved.

Cllr Verner said: “As the only St Andrews councillor attending Wednesday’s meeting of committee, I was delighted to second the motion to accept approval for the St Andrews West development. This was necessary to give the go ahead, as refusal would have held up the construction of the new school.”

Cllr Brian Thomson added: “Its approval is also significant in terms of progressing the new Madras College.

“With the council’s acquisition of the Langlands site being subject to the approval of St Andrews West planning application, this is a significant step forward, and it’s absolutely essential that the legal agreement is now agreed as soon as possible, to allow the planning permission to be issued, the site to be acquired, and construction of the school to commence.”