Plan for six flats in St Andrews refused over negative impact on protected building

There were fears around the impact on the area.

Applicant Eastacre Developments, based in St Andrews, failed in their bid to create the apartment block on land between Kinburn Castle and another set of flats on Doubledykes Road in the Fife town.

Eastacre had sought to placate objections to the plans by giving the new-build a facade that it said complimented the C-listed structure. It revised the plans, reducing the building’s footprint, following early dialogue with Fife Council planners.

However, officers ultimately recommended that the North East Planning Committee refuse the application because it failed to respect the character of the St Andrews central conservation area.

An artist's impression of how the development would look.

Aside from the clash with the listed building, transport officers opposed the project’s six parking spaces, one for each flat, stating this was not sufficient for a development of this type.

Bryan Reid, a chartered planner with the council, said in his report to the committee delivered on Wednesday: “Whilst it is considered that the proposed development would not raise any adverse concerns with respect to residential amenity, flooding or low carbon, it is considered that the application proposal would have a detrimental impact on the setting of the Category C listed building, as well as the character and appearance of the St Andrews Central Conservation Area.”

Councillors voted unanimously to refuse both the application to build the flats and a listed building consent to alter and remove boundary walls on the site.

However, Conservative Cupar councillor Tony Miklinski said: “I find as much good as I do bad in this application and it seems to me it comes down to six new dwellings and a presumption of approval.

“There doesn’t seem to be a (concrete) argument to refuse this.”