A new plan to develop the former Hawklaw intelligence-gathering listening station in Cupar has been revealed.
In a presentation to Cupar Community Council, George Beaton and his wife Clare outlined their proposal to transform the derelict wireless station into their family home while also developing two five-star self-catering holiday lets that would aim to tap into the St Andrews golf tourism market.
Hawklaw was commissioned at the start of the Second World War and became fully operational in February 1943. Its role was to intercept German Naval traffic and send transcriptions to Bletchley Park in Milton Keynes.
It was later used to intercept civil transmissions from the Soviet Union.
Since 1991, a number of planning applications have been lodged to develop the site for housing, a children’s holiday centre and a nursing home.
The most recent application for nine houses was granted in 2008 and planning permission expires in July.
There was controversy at that time about the potential density of traffic on Bishopgate.
None of the proposed developments went ahead, which the present owners believe is partly down to the economic climate of the time making them unviable.
The couple purchased the site at auction in October 2012.
Mr Beaton said they have employed the services of Edinburgh-based Simpson and Brown Architects to draw up plans to develop the main building as a house and retain an engineers’ garage, replace an administration building with semi-detached two-storey five-star holiday lets and convert the car park into a nine-hole putting green.
Mr Beaton said: “The idea is to appeal to people who might want to holiday in St Andrews, play golf in St Andrews and practise their putting at night.
“There’s a shortage of accommodation in St Andrews and Cupar is well placed to capitalise from that.”
Mr Beaton said the holiday lets would be designed as “upside-down houses” with the living areas upstairs to maximise the views across Cupar and to the east. He said discussions with neighbours were almost complete and feedback had been positive.
Mr Beaton added they also plan to speak to the Civic Trust and Cupar Heritage.
Planning permission could be approved by October. In the meantime, work would continue to stabilise the buildings and reverse deterioration on a care and maintenance basis.
Cupar Community Council planning spokeswoman Loretta Mordi said the proposals are “very encouraging indeed”.
The area is popular with dog walkers and hikers and she was given assurances public access past the site would be retained.
Community council chairman Canon Pat McInally said he hoped golf tourists to the area would be encouraged to spend money in Cupar.