Plans to build luxury homes overlooking the Old Course in St Andrews have been given the go-ahead by council planners.
Residents of the four new town houses will enjoy clear views of the famous Swilcan Bridge – which connects the first and 18th fairways and is regarded as one of world’s most iconic sporting locations.
The development will include the demolition of a building dating from the 1960s which is now regarded as no longer fit for purpose by owners Athole Reid and Gillian Aspin.
Original redevelopment plans panned by locals as a potential “eyesore” were thrown out by Fife Council in October 2020.
An appeal was rejected by the Scottish Government the following year.
But revised plans were submitted in March with a number of key changes, including pitched roofs to “soften the building’s silhouette” and relate it more closely to adjacent properties.
Double garages have also been introduced for each unit to allow for off-street parking.
Four objections were received to the fresh proposals, while 75 wrote in support.
Demolition will make way for a terrace of four three-bedroom luxury townhouses offering stunning views of the famous course as well as the St Andrews coastline.
“The existing property is of low architectural merit,” the owners said in their original design statement.
“It is therefore considered that a good opportunity exists for the sensitive redevelopment of this site, which can play a part in further enhancing the character of the conservation area while relating sensitively to nearby listed buildings, as well as providing new family homes within the town of St Andrews on a previously developed urban site.”
The new development is just yards from the 700-year-old Swilcan bridge landmark.
The bridge hit the headlines last month when St Andrews Links Trust scrapped plans for a stone patio area at the iconic site after a public outcry.
Conversation