St Andrews Pensioner Says ‘Nightmare’ Building Work Forced Him Out of Home

A St Andrews pensioner has said he is leaving his home after prolonged disruption caused by building work on a neighbouring property. 

Chris Main, 70, has lived in his council flat on the East Scores, Kirkhill retirement housing unit for eight years, and has endured nineteen months of construction activity next door. He stated that the work has involved heavy machinery operating within a few inches of his home and that a further year of construction is expected on the new three-storey clifftop house.

He described the conditions as a “nightmare” and a “horror” to The Courier, claiming it has been like “living in an earthquake zone” according to Manchester Evening News.

Main said the prolonged disruption had made his home uninhabitable, ultimately forcing him to relocate to Cupar. His move was scheduled for 13 April.

Chris Main’s flat is in the orange building on the left of the picture.

He said the decision has cost around £75,000 of his retirement savings due to the high cost of securing alternative accommodation.

“It’s been devastating for me,” he said. “I thought this would be the flat I would be in until I either died or went into care. It’s taken away all the financial planning around my pension — I’m feeling numb and shocked.”

Main also expressed frustration at being priced out of the town. “I’ve been here eight and a half years as a sheltered tenant. I’m basically being socially cleansed from the town which my family have had associations with for generations,” he told the Manchester Evening News. 

“I’ve basically lost my home to a multi-home owning millionaire who wants to make a packet - and he will, because property values in St Andrews are sky high,” he said.

Planning documents identify the developer as Martin Lightbody, a former bakery owner.

Main said he had raised concerns during the planning process and criticised Fife Council for failing to take the impact on neighbouring residents into account.

“I warned right from the start, five years ago, that this development would cost me my home, and it has,” he said.

He added that a planning officer “dismissed all our concerns” and claimed the impact on his living conditions had not been properly assessed: “He never even visited the site or witnessed the way it would render my flat uninhabitable,” according to The Courier. 

“They have even agreed to allow the builders to operate inside our communal yard, inches from my windows,” he added.

Plans to demolish St Regulus Cottage in Gregory Place, near East Scores, were first submitted in 2022 and included proposals for two luxury homes with additional features such as a rooftop solarium, garage and gym. That application was rejected by councillors, who described it as “overtly contemporary” for the conservation area. A revised proposal for a single three-storey property was later approved under delegated powers.

Concerns about the impact of the development had been raised at the time, with Main telling The Courier that the work would make his home “uninhabitable.” His case comes amid wider concerns about housing affordability in North East Fife, particularly in St Andrews, where rising property prices and the growth of second homes and short-term lets have put pressure on local residents.

The average house price in the town reached £458,381 in 2025, according to Bank of Scotland’s Coastal Homes Review, making it Scotland’s most expensive seaside location.

According to a Facebook post by the All Under One Banner page, MSP Mark Ruskell previously warned that St Andrews risks becoming “a theme park for the super-rich,” with local people being priced out.

The St Andrews Local Place Plan has also highlighted concerns that the town’s population is shifting away from permanent residents, raising questions about community sustainability and local accountability.

Responding to the situation, Fife Council said construction work was being carried out in line with planning permission. Fife Council planning service manager Alastair Hamilton said to The Courier: “We understand that construction work can be disruptive for people living nearby, and we appreciate that noise and disturbance can be frustrating.”

The statement continued: “We work closely with public protection colleagues to ensure impacts on neighbours are kept to the lowest level reasonably possible. Any concerns raised are taken seriously, and residents are encouraged to contact our enforcement team.” 

According to The Courier, the council also confirmed that alternative accommodation had been offered to Main, which he did not accept.

Despite leaving, Main said he had hoped to remain in St Andrews permanently, telling the press, “I’ve loved my flat [...], but after eight years, I’ve finally been forced out.”

Photo Credit to Steve Brown/DC Thomson