Macdonald Hotels given go-ahead for £7m Rusacks hotel extension

Macdonald Hotels has been granted planning permission for a 44-suite extension to the Rusacks hotel in St Andrews, Fife, in Scotland.

The £7m extension to the hotel, which overlooks the 18th green at The Old Course, will also include a rooftop restaurant, bar and terrace, as well as glass fronted-suites allowing visitors to view the golf course.

The plans were initially rejected by planning officers at Fife Council on the basis that they were unacceptable in scale, density and design.

Gordon Fraser, deputy chairman at Macdonald Hotels, welcomed the planning decision: “This is a tremendously positive announcement for our company and for St Andrews, which will give visitors to the town world-class ‘5 Red Star’ accommodation.

“This development will set a new benchmark for luxury in St Andrews, attracting many new visitors every year from all over the world and bringing new jobs and major benefits to the local economy.

“We’ve owned the Macdonald Rusacks since 2001 and are especially conscious of being custodians of one of golf’s most famous locations so will be developing the site with the utmost sensitivity.”

Fraser added that the customer will now enter the next stages of the planning process with working expected to begin in 2016.

The extension, which will also provide valet car parking on the lower ground floor, was designed by Scottish firm WCP Architects and will be built using traditional materials.