St Andrews Holiday Park has withdrawn its application for a major expansion after facing significant opposition. The park had initially sought permission for 134 additional caravan pitches, but the plans faced objections from multiple local groups and residents.
The decision was confirmed in this week’s planning application decisions published on Fife Council’s website.
In an email to the local authority, the developers announced that they would bring forward revised plans for a “much reduced number of caravan pitches” in the new year.
According to Fife Today, the proposed expansion came after the park had operated near full capacity for several years, with the owners citing a growing demand for additional pitches.
However, the expansion faced strong objections from local councils and residents.
The Royal Burgh of St Andrews Community Council, along with Largoward and District Community Council, Boarhills and Dunino Community Council, and around 70 local residents, expressed concerns about the impact on the area’s landscape and local infrastructure.
The Boarhills and Dunino Community Council specifically raised concerns about the “high degree of adverse impact” on local views and the environment.
“Part of this field is in the St Andrews Green Belt which we wish to defend strongly,” the Royal Burgh of St Andrews Community Council said.
“We wish to preserve the historic views and approach to our monuments and coast, not have them compromised by a tourist business based elsewhere only promoting their profit.”
Other objections focused on the potential increase in traffic through Largoward, with concerns raised by Largoward and District Community Council about the narrow roads and lack of pavements in some areas.
“The village does not have pavements on both sides of the road in places and the volume and speed of traffic is making it increasingly difficult to cross the road,” the council stated.
The original proposal also faced concern for its potential impact on local views and the small community.
One objector warned that the expansion would “overwhelm” the local population of approximately 400 people, while others expressed concerns about the environmental effects, such as noise, light pollution, and disruption to wildlife.
Abbeyford Leisure Ltd, the Welsh-based owners of the park, said the expansion was necessary to meet the growing demand for caravan pitches at the popular site.
“There is a growing waiting list for caravan pitches which our client cannot satisfy through the natural turnover of holiday caravans within the existing park,” a company planning statement read.
“Abbeyford Leisure Ltd is committed to making a significant inward investment at St Andrews Holiday Park, which will create a further positive economic impact on the local area by generating increased holiday visitor numbers which will in turn increase spend in the local economy as well as employment opportunities.”
The holiday park, which spans 16 hectares of land, currently has 434 static caravan pitches and is a well-established tourist destination.
After receiving support from approximately 39 local residents, Abbeyford Leisure has now withdrawn the original application and plans to submit a smaller, revised proposal sometime in 2025.
