Plans for a new hotel and student accommodation in St Andrews have been given the green light on appeal, The Courier can reveal.
However, the lengthy planning saga may not yet be over after opponents of the development revealed they are considering their next move after consulting solicitors.
Developers Robertson Property initially saw their bid to build a 90-bed hotel and homes for 100 students at Abbey Park knocked back on the grounds that student accommodation was not a use set out for the land in the council’s local development plan.
That decision, made in May, pleased members of the Abbey Park Residents’ Action Group, who have railed against the proposals since they emerged, claiming their lives in a normally tranquil part of town would be “destroyed” by a blueprint “based on avarice”.
However, Robertson Property subsequently appealed to the Scottish Government’s Directorate for Planning and Environmental Appeals (DPEA) and have had confirmation their appeal has now been successful.
Planning permission has therefore been granted by the Reporter to the Scottish Government, subject to 32 conditions specified in his report.
However, Sandra Stewart, communication officer for the Abbey Park Residents’ Action Group, has signalled local residents’ intention to perhaps take the matter even further.
“We are astounded at the result,” she commented.
“The Reporter has overturned the decision of the democratically elected members of the planning committee who voted unanimously to reject the planning application.
“The steering group met yesterday and have taken legal advice regarding our next steps and we have several options open to us.
“We are currently giving serious consideration to these and will formulate our strategy within the next week.
“This will then be put to the wider community for agreement.”
Agents for Robertson Property said they were pleased with the outcome, suggesting there was a strong need for both hotel and student accommodation in St Andrews, with the planned hotel the style and scale sought by Fife Council to address market imbalance and encourage more day trippers to stay overnight.
