A bid to alter controversial St Andrews hotel and student accommodation plans has gone to the Scottish Government.
Robertson Properties secured planning permission to build 100 student rooms and a 90-bed hotel at Abbey Park five years ago.
However, they say conditions stating a hotel operator must be in place before the student rooms are occupied are unviable.
And the ruling has frustrated all efforts to deliver the development.
Fife Council’s north east planning committee refused an application to drop the conditions earlier this year.
But Robertson has now appealed to Scottish ministers, arguing the need for student accommodation in St Andrews is more pressing than more hotel bed spaces.
They say: “A marketing brochure was issued to more than 50 potential investors in 2021.
“Despite this, no meaningful interest was secured.
“As a consequence, and specifically due to conditions, progress on the student accommodation, as well as the hotel, has not been possible.”
‘Significant’ need for student accommodation
Robertson Properties had hoped the development would be complete by the end of 2023.
But they say the hotel conditions mean it has not even started.
Several hotels have opened, or been approved, in St Andrews since Fife’s development framework was agreed in 2011.
Those include the Premier Inn, Feddinch and extensions to the Old Course Hotel and Rusacks.
And Robertson added: “It is safe to assume that any critical need for new hotel accommodation that may have underpinned the sequencing conditions at Abbey Walk are no longer in play.
“In contrast, the requirement for new student accommodation remains significant.”
Too expensive to open hotel first
The developer says it is too expensive to create infrastructure for a hotel that may never open.
However, allowing student accommodation to be built first could “unlock” the rest of the development.
The original planning application was refused by Fife councillors following a campaign by a residents’ action group.
However, that decision was overturned by a Scottish Government reporter on appeal.
A ruling on the latest appeal will be made in due course.
Conversation