St Andrews B&B owner's bid to overturn council snub to plans for flats

Elaine Russell who is the owner of the Kinburn Guest House on Doubledykes Road, has appealed to the Scottish Government in seeking approval of her plans for the two-bed flats next door to her bed and breakfast.

Her ill-fated submission was the second attempt at getting the plans green-lit after her original plans were originally refused last summer.

Fife planners were broadly supportive of the revised plans, which were redesigned to sit more sympathetically with the 1960s terrace next door, but were forced to take them to committee earlier this year because they had been objected to by five locals and the St Andrews Community Council.

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Councillors on Fife’s north east planning committee ultimately turned down the amended proposals citing worries over road safety and, as before, issues with the design.

In the appeal to Scottish ministers Andrew McCafferty, an agent acting for Russell, contends that the council officers had it right and that the councillors did not.

“The professional planning officers of the Council found the proposals to be acceptable and recommended their approval to the North East Planning Committee,” McCafferty wrote in his submission.

He added that council officers’ recommendations “fully support” the application on both design and road safety grounds.

Ministers have confirmed receipt of the appeal but must seek a response from Fife Council’s planning department before delegating the case to a reporter for review.