By Cheryl Wood

A LARGE scheme of affordable homes which could be built on the southern edge of St Andrews is to come under scrutiny.

C&L Properties of Aberdeen wants to build 78 houses and flats—52 of which would be sold to first-time buyers at a low cost—south of John Knox Road, near Morrisons supermarket.

The plans have already run into considerable opposition, including from St Andrews Preservation Trust and the town’s community council.

Owing to the number and significance of objections, and as the development would constitute new housing in the countryside and within the proposed greenbelt, a special hearing is to be held.

The departure hearing—likely to be held later this month or at the beginning of July—will allow the issues to be examined publicly before Fife Council’s north-east Fife area committee decides whether to grant planning permission.

The scheme is linked with plans by the same developer for 48 flats on the former New Park School site in the town’s Hepburn Gardens, which were turned down by the committee, but are now the subject of an appeal to Scottish ministers.

At John Knox Road, 17 of the proposed homes constitute the 30% of affordable housing which would be required for the New Park School development.

The applicant has claimed that provision of affordable housing in Hepburn Gardens would be inappropriate on economic grounds and would lead to an imbalance of social harmony.

On the three-hectare agricultural field behind John Knox Road, a mix of terraced and semi-detached two-storey properties would be erected, including 10 townhouses.

C&L Properties is proceeding with the development despite earlier warning that its viability would be undermined if the New Park School scheme was disallowed.

The firm has already claimed the £11 million John Knox Road scheme would help first-time buyers get a foot on the property ladder.

But it has come under fire from a number of local residents, with concerns about the green belt, impact on an area of great landscape value, visual impact and road safety, among numerous other issues.

The town’s community council said that while there was a serious shortage of affordable housing “mindless acceptance” of any planning application remained inappropriate.

It said the proposals were premature, pending the Fife Structure Plan, and a departure from the Local Plan and cited concerns about proximity to mobile phone and TETRA masts.

Vice-chairman Ian Goudie said, “We are concerned about the dangers of the proposed access to this site, lying as it does on a bend close to the brow of the rise of John Knox Road which has become increasingly busy.”

St Andrews Preservation Trust has branded the development poorly designed and said it should not be considered until the boundaries of the green belt were set.

Planning convener David Middleton said, “We are surprised and dismayed that in circumstances where quality design in housing and environment is being promoted by government guidance that such poorly designed housing should be proposed.

“The density of housing is inappropriate for this area of St Andrews, which is characterised by housing set in spacious gardens and adjacent to the built boundary of the town.”