Ambitious plans to cement St Andrews’ status as one of the world’s premier destinations for sports stars are to be unveiled later this month.
The Courier understands that the Old Course Hotel is behind a £3 million blueprint to develop land to the north of Winthank Farm and turn it into a state-of-the-art sports facility.
Four sports pitches of different types and surfaces are envisaged, while derelict farm cottages at the Denhead site will also be transformed into changing pavilions that could accommodate visiting groups or teams.
The plans are at a very early stage but, if they do come to fruition, the Fife resort could well rival the likes of the La Manga complex in Spain, which is a popular and renowned venue for sports clubs looking for training facilities from across Europe.
An event outlining the plans is now expected to be held in Cameron Parish Hall on Wednesday June 29 from 12.30pm to 7.30pm, when details of the site and the proposals will be made public.
“It’s a hotel project, it’s part of the business, so they are looking to grow the business because there is a high demand,” explained agent Neil Gray, who is a partner with Rapleys LLP.
“The specification is going to be suitable for the likes of football, rugby and any other ball sports, so that could include anything from hockey to American football.”
Sources close to the plans have suggested that up to £3 million could be invested in the project, although groundworks could soak up most of that budget.
“The land currently has a slope so most of the cost will be involved in site preparation,” Mr Gray confirmed.
St Andrews and the Old Course Hotel are no strangers to some of the world’s sporting superstars, with Spanish football giants Barcelona and English Premier League side Manchester City among the clubs who have stayed at the hotel in recent years.
The Scottish rugby team has also used the Old Course as a base in the past.
However, the players have had to train elsewhere, typically the pitches at St Andrews University, and it is thought the latest plans could improve the Old Course’s offering in that respect.
At least two of the pitches planned are expected to be hybrid grass pitches, similar to the ones currently in place at Murrayfield.
No formal application has yet gone into Fife Council, but those behind the scheme are keen to get some local feedback before asking for formal consent.
Visitors to the pre-application public event later this month will be provided with a comment sheet to share their ideas which may be used to refine the plans prior to submission of any application.
Those comments will also be included in a pre-application consultation report to accompany any future application.