St Andrews South Street Extensions Approved

On 12 March, councillors on the North East Planning Committee agreed to make the pavement build-outs permanent on South Street. As a result, cafes, bars, and restaurants along the street will retain their outdoor seating arrangements.

Pavement build outs were originally introduced during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021 to allow businesses to continue operating with the correct social distancing guidelines in place. At five different locations on South Street, the council temporarily extended the footway width to allow for more tables and chairs to be placed outside.

Convenor of the North East Fife Planning Committee, Councillor Jonny Tepp, lauded the meeting’s verdict: “I think the right decision for St Andrews has been made today. The leisure and tourism sector is one of the town’s key employers and is vital to keeping the economy strong.”

He continued: “These outdoor spaces have proven very popular with locals and tourists. Some of the objections focused on the loss of forty car parking spaces in South Street, but parking is not a material consideration in relation to these planning applications.”

The results from a large public consultation show that 46 per cent were in favour of keeping the additional pedestrian spaces, versus 42 per cent that wanted them removed.

Ayben Sinclair, owner of Neighbours Cafe on South Street, was in favour of the additional space: “My cafe is quite small. I’ve only got five tables inside, but because I’ve got the area outside, it helps my business.”

When asked about the implications of these permanent build outs on her business in the future, she expressed confidence, particularly for the summer months: “We don’t obviously get a very good summer all the time, but when we do, people really look forward to sitting outside.”

Moreover, Sinclair shared that she is Turkish and that in Turkey there are plenty of outside sitting areas, primarily because of the warmer climate. She compared her home country to the UK, describing how, unfortunately, outside sitting areas cannot be found everywhere here. Sinclair believes that the move will make St Andrews stand out.

Image by Madeleine Rea.